Álvaro de Bazán

Álvaro de Bazán
Álvaro de Bazán
	Don Álvaro de Bazán, by Rafael Tegeo. 1828. (Naval Museum of Madrid). Copy of an anonymous original from the house of the Marquises of Santa Cruz.
Born	December 12, 1526; Granada (Spain)
Died	February 9, 1588 (aged 61); Lisbon (Portugal)
Occupation	Alcaide of the castle of Gibraltar
Military career
Allegiance	Spain
Branch	Spanish Navy
Rank	Captain General of the Ocean Sea and of the men-at-arms of the Kingdom of Portugal
Commands	Captain general of the Galleys of Naples (1568); Captain general of the enterprise against the Terceiras (1582); Captain general of the enterprise of England (1588)
Conflicts	Battle of Muros; Reconquest of the Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera; Siege of Oran and Mers El Kébir; Battle of Gibraltar 1563; Relief of the island of Malta; Battle of Lepanto; War of the Portuguese Succession; Naval battle of the Tagus; Battle of Terceira Island; Spanish conquest of the Azores;
Awards	Marquisate of Santa Cruz; Grandee of Spain of the second class; Knight of the Order of Santiago

Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán (Granada, December 12, 1526 – Lisbon, February 9, 1588), 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, Grandee of Spain of the second class, 1st Lord and Marquis of the town of Viso and 1st Lord of the town of Valdepeñas, Comendador mayor of León and of Villamayor, Alhambra and La Solana in the Order of Santiago; member of the Council of His Majesty Philip II, Captain General of the Ocean Sea and of the men-at-arms of the Kingdom of Portugal, was a Spanish soldier and admiral of the 16th century, famous for the use of war galleons, for using marine infantry for the first time to carry out amphibious operations, and for never having been defeated. He has been considered probably the greatest Admiral in the history of Spain.

The family coat of arms is a chessboard, according to a popular saying because he was playing this game before the battle, although it most logically derives from the Navarrese valley of Baztan.^[1] In that of the Marquises of Santa Cruz, the eight Saint Andrew's crosses surrounding the chessboard were added.

Biography

Family origin

Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán was a descendant of Íñigo López, brother of Lope Íñiguez, 5th Lord of Biscay;^[2] the Bazán family was of Navarrese ancestry.

As early as the 14th century, Juan González de Bazán settled in Castile and was appointed by King Henry II of Castile as his Camarero Mayor (Chief Chamberlain), receiving several towns in the lands of Valladolid.^[3] The Bazán lineage continued to serve the kings of Castile, and by the end of the 15th century it was already related to the very best of the Castilian nobility.

His grandfather, also named Álvaro de Bazán, served the Catholic Monarchs, being Captain General in the Granada War. In 1487 he conquered the town of Fiñana,^[4] which was granted to him as a lordship, and he also received the office of steward of the encomienda of Castroverde.^[5]

His father, Álvaro de Bazán "the Elder", was a seaman. In the War of the Communities of Castile he raised a host at his own expense.^[6] In 1526 he replaced Juan de Velasco in the post of general of the galleys of Spain. Among other military actions, Bazán "the Elder" distinguished himself by the taking of One in Tlemcen^[7] and his participation in the Tunis expedition, together with Charles I of Spain. Appointed captain general of the Ocean Sea, he defeated the French at the naval battle of Muros.^[8]

Early years

Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán was born in Granada (at the present-day junction of Reyes Católicos street and Gran Vía, where the Plaza de Isabel la Católica opens) where his father was stationed, who that same year took office as Captain General of the Galleys of Spain. His mother, Ana de Guzmán, was an immediate descendant of the Count of Teba and marquis of Ardales.^[9]

So that his son might be initiated into social life in keeping with his lineage, Álvaro de Bazán "the Elder" requested from King Charles I of Spain a habit of Santiago when the boy was less than three years old. The Emperor granted the petition in a special decree issued in Toledo in 1529.^[10]

Another decree issued in Madrid in March 1535 appointed him alcaide of the castle of Gibraltar^[11] when he was only eight years old. With this appointment the Emperor sought to reward the deeds of his family and to encourage the boy's desire to emulate his father in the service of Charles I. Thus the Emperor stated:

Respecting your competence and ability and the many and loyal services that your said father has rendered us and that we hope you will render us

— O´Donnel, H. 1998, p. 275

At nine years old he ran about the deck of his father's flagship, thus serving his nautical apprenticeship. From a very young age, therefore, he had the opportunity to come into contact with a seafaring environment.

His tutor was Pedro González de Simancas, who gave him a very careful humanistic education and led him to hold poets and humanists in high esteem, whom he always protected and for whom he was a patron.

In 1538 he accompanied his father for the first time on one of his expeditions, although the details of the itinerary are unknown.^[12] Alongside his father he acquired experience and practice in seafaring maneuvers. At seventeen he moved to Santander with his father, where he became acquainted with the seafaring tradition of the north with its different models of ships.

He took part alongside his father in the Battle of Muros (1544) on the Galician coast, which ended in a resounding Spanish victory that inflicted three thousand casualties on the French.^[13] After the victory, his father gave him command of the squadron while he himself went to Santiago de Compostela in thanksgiving^[14] and then to Valladolid to report the victory to Prince Philip.^[15]

Still in the reign of Charles I, he obtained command of an independent fleet, whose mission was to guard the southern coasts of Spain and protect the arrival of the Fleet of the Indies.^[16]

Thanks to this command he confronted the French and English corsairs and the Barbary pirates who operated from their Atlantic bases.

At twenty-four, on March 19, 1550,^[17] he married Juana de Zúñiga, daughter of the Counts of Miranda, with whom he had four daughters. He married secondly María Manuel de Benavides, in the parish of San Esteban of Santisteban del Puerto (Jaén) on April 26, 1568, daughter of Francisco de Benavides, 5th Count of Santisteban del Puerto, and Isabel de la Cueva, 5th Lady of Solera; he had three daughters and Don Álvaro II de Bazán y Benavides, 2nd Marquis of Santa Cruz.

In 1554 he was appointed Captain General of the Fleet at only twenty-eight years of age.^[18]

In 1556 he carried out a daring action off Cape Aguer, forcing the surrender of two English ships that were carrying weapons and munitions to Fez.^[19]

Actions in the Mediterranean

Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán, after the disaster of Los Gelves, in which he did not take part, came with his galleys to the support of the garrisons of Oran and Mers El Kébir, during the Ottoman siege of 1563, saving the strongholds from falling into Barbary hands.^[20]

At this time Badis and the Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera had become a nest of Turkish and Barbary pirates. On July 23, 1563, a fleet of fifty galleys under the command of Sancho de Leyva set sail from Málaga. A landing was made on the coast near the Peñón in a somewhat disorganized manner and, after some skirmishes, Sancho de Leyva considered it prudent to order a withdrawal. Almost all the officers supported his opinion, but not Álvaro de Bazán, who observed that abandoning the attempt would go against the King's orders and would raise the morale of the Barbary pirates and Turks. Despite everything, Sancho de Leyva ordered the troops to re-embark.^[21] At the beginning of August the fleet was back in Málaga.

After the departure, the pirates attacked the Spanish coasts again with greater insistence, so Philip II insisted on the need to take Vélez de la Gomera. A year later the attempt was undertaken again. On this occasion the fleet had one hundred ships under the command of García Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio, who had Álvaro de Bazán as his lieutenant.^[22] The fleet sailed from Málaga on August 29, 1564, and the enterprise was a total success, the Peñón falling into Spanish hands on September 6 in a fight that caused few casualties among the Spanish troops.

The Ottoman Empire attempted a surprise stroke by taking Malta, with the intention of using it as a base for the subsequent conquest of Sicily. The heroic resistance of the Maltese during the siege halted the formidable fleet of Piyale Pasha. The relief of the stronghold by the Spanish troops was almost exclusively the merit of Álvaro de Bazán, who pressed ahead with the relief enterprise despite the reluctance of a large part of the court of Philip II.

In 1566 he was appointed Captain General of the Galleys of Naples and shortly afterward, on October 19, 1569,^[23] Philip II granted him the title of Marquis of Santa Cruz de Mudela for his merits, although it is said that he won the title when the King took pity on him upon seeing him standing in the sun and ordered him to cover his head, and when he thanked him for it, the Monarch said to him: for the sun, Lord Marquis, for the sun.

During these years he devoted himself to patrolling the Italian coasts, notably reducing corsair attacks.

The Battle of Lepanto

In 1570 everything seemed to converge toward a clash between the Christian powers and the Ottoman Empire.

On the one hand, the power of the Turkish sultan was ever greater in North Africa, which represented a threat to the Spanish Empire, inasmuch as it made possible an Ottoman landing on the Iberian Peninsula in aid of the Hispanic Moriscos.

On the other hand, the invasion of Cyprus by the troops of Selim II led Venice to opt for action.

On May 25, 1571,^[24] the articles of the Holy League were signed in Rome, uniting the Spanish Empire, the Papacy, the Most Serene Republic of Venice, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Republic of Genoa and the Duchy of Savoy. The aim of the Holy League was the destruction of the forces of the Turks, who were declared common enemies, and Tunis, Algiers and Tripoli fell within the scope of its action.

Three commanders were appointed: for the Papacy Marcantonio Colonna, for Venice Sebastiano Venier and for the Spanish Empire Don John of Austria, who held the supreme military command of the Holy League.

The fleet assembled by the Holy League consisted of two hundred seven galleys, six galleasses and seventy-six light vessels.^[25]

Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán joined with the thirty galleys of the Squadron of Naples on September 5, 1571.^[26]

From the beginning he showed prudence in his counsel and became one of the most effective collaborators of Don John of Austria, whom he advised to seek a confrontation with the enemy without delay, because friction was beginning to arise among the allies.

In the order of battle Don John of Austria gave Álvaro de Bazán the mission of taking charge of the rearguard in order to relieve those areas where there was the greatest danger to the Christian fleet. For this task he was assigned thirty galleys, plus a group of smaller vessels.^[27]

On October 7, 1571,^[28] the Battle of Lepanto took place. His squadron was positioned half a mile astern of the front line.

Álvaro de Bazán was responsible for the Christian fleet setting out very early in the morning and forming up fifteen miles outside the Gulf of Patras. When the fighting began, Agostino Barbarigo, who was in command of the Christian left wing, broke away from the formation, leaving a free channel through which the Ottoman fleet could threaten the Christian formation on the flank.

The Ottoman wing commanded by Mehmed Siroco tried to envelop Barbarigo, but Álvaro de Bazán sent ten galleys under the command of Martín de Padilla, which decided the situation on the left flank, as the Ottoman ships were caught in a pincer and pushed against the coast.

In the center of the battle, the galley La Real, Don John of Austria's flagship, hurled itself against the Turkish flagship of Ali Pasha, La Sultana, and both ships became locked in close combat. Marcantonio Colonna supported Don John of Austria's ship, positioning himself at the rear of La Sultana and cutting it off from relief and reinforcement.

Álvaro de Bazán sent ten galleys and a group of frigates and brigantines to support the success that the capture of the Ottoman flagship could represent. As a result of this reinforcement, the Ottoman center was completely shattered.

On the Christian right flank things took a different course. Giovanni Andrea Doria fell behind the rest of the Christian formation, and Uluch Ali got past the Genoese's rear and headed toward the center of the fighting. Doria went after him trying to catch up with him but could not stop his advance. Uluch Ali attacked several galleys of the Order of Malta, but Álvaro de Bazán in person, with the ten galleys that remained in the rearguard, was able to save the situation and force Uluch Ali to retreat.

Álvaro de Bazán was the key man in the victory of Lepanto; his orders saved the situation of the Christian fleet at three critical moments, and at each moment he acted correctly, making the most of the few resources he had.

After the Battle of Lepanto, Álvaro de Bazán took part in the offensive that Don John of Austria successfully directed against Tunis.

In December 1576 he was appointed Captain General of the Galleys of Spain.

The Portugal campaign

When Sebastian I of Portugal died in 1578 without issue, the throne was inherited by Cardinal Henry I of Portugal, the only surviving son of Manuel I of Portugal. In 1580 Don Henry I of Portugal died without issue, leaving the throne of Portugal vacant.

It was then that Philip II of Spain saw that the moment had come to complete the unity of the Iberian countries, since it was believed that the right of inheritance supported him through his mother Isabella of Portugal, making him a grandson of Manuel I of Portugal.

Opposed to this objective were António, Prior of Crato, who believed himself to be the heir, and the queens Catherine de' Medici, Regent of Henry III of France, and Elizabeth I of England.

Philip II's candidacy for the Portuguese throne received the support of the merchant and financial bourgeoisie and the Portuguese nobility, as well as the high clergy, but the common people and the low clergy had clearly anti-Castilian sentiments.

Poorly armed and even more poorly trained, the host following the Portuguese pretender posed no obstacle to the Spanish tercios of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba de Tormes, who marched overland on Lisbon, nor to the fleet of Álvaro de Bazán, which entered the estuary of the Tagus River, neutralizing the naval force loyal to the Prior of Crato.

Philip II entered Lisbon in triumph and was proclaimed King of Portugal at the Cortes of Tomar in 1581.^[29]

Don António had to escape to the north and, without support, fled to England and then to France.

All the Portuguese territories accepted Philip's appointment as King of Portugal except for one strategic island in the archipelago of the Azores, Terceira Island. The island had great strategic value because it could become a nest of pirates and because the wind regime in the Atlantic meant that all the Spanish ships making the "Carrera de las Indias" (Indies Run) and the Portuguese ships returning from the East Indies had to pass by the Azores.

France and England sent sums of money, troops and ships to support Don António's cause, but officially they did not act on behalf of their countries but on their own account, so as not to worsen their relations with Spain. Philip II tried to convince the governor of Terceira Island to accept his sovereignty, but the latter refused owing, among other reasons, to the arrival there of a small French squadron with five hundred men-at-arms and letters accredited by the pretender promising the help of a powerful squadron and troops under the command of the condottiero Filippo Strozzi.^[30]

Philip II sent Pedro Valdés with four large naos to protect the Fleet of the Indies, but on his own initiative and without orders to do so, he attempted to take Terceira Island and was defeated at the Battle of Salga (1581).

The Battle of Terceira Island

King Philip II began preparations to assemble a powerful squadron for the following campaign and to place it under the command of Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán, who was to see to everything necessary. He assembled a fleet of sixty heavy naos, plus another twenty light ones, also carrying flat-bottomed boats to facilitate the landing of ten thousand soldiers on the island.^[31]

Don António's supporters had not remained idle and had erected fifty artillery forts on the island, and a squadron was being built in France which would be placed under the command of Filippo Strozzi.

The French fleet sailed from Belle Isle on June 16^[32] and after a month at sea anchored at São Miguel Island, believing it to be Santa María Island. Filippo Strozzi landed with twelve hundred men and tried to take the fort of Punta Delgada, but could not force the stronghold to surrender and had to re-embark because Álvaro de Bazán was approaching with his fleet.

Knowing of Filippo Strozzi's departure, Álvaro de Bazán had left Lisbon on July 6 for São Miguel Island with the intention of intercepting Strozzi's fleet. Bazán set out without waiting for the twenty naos and twelve galleys that were in Cádiz. A heavy storm forced the nao Anunciada to return to Lisbon with part of the troops, so that Álvaro de Bazán faced Strozzi with two of the King's galleons—San Martín and San Mateo—, fifteen naos and eight urcas, in all twenty-five warships with four thousand five hundred embarked infantry soldiers.^[33]

Filippo Strozzi had a fleet of 60 galleons lighter than the Spanish ones, and urcas, with seven thousand soldiers.^[34]

From July 22 both squadrons maneuvered seeking advantage over the other. On the 23rd they even had a skirmish in which the French fleet got the worst of it. But the decisive clash came on July 26.^[35] The two squadrons sighted each other 18 miles^[36] south of São Miguel Island, three miles^[37] apart. Álvaro de Bazán interspersed the most powerful ships with the lighter ones in his line of battle, with the idea that the heavier ships would sustain the fighting while the more maneuverable ones supported them.

The French squadron had the wind and the sun in its favor. The fighting began with the advance of the French vanguard ships against the galleon San Mateo. Four ships surrounded it, preventing help from reaching the Spanish galleon. However, the heavily armed San Mateo answered the attacks and withstood the harassment of its attackers for two hours.

Meanwhile Álvaro de Bazán had gained the weather gauge with the San Martín and seven other vessels. The firepower of the San Martín caused several French vessels to withdraw, exposing the ships commanded by Filippo Strozzi and the Duke of Brissac, which were boarded by the naos Juana and María, but other French ships threw themselves into the battle, giving rise to hand-to-hand fighting with every kind of weapon.

The nao Concepción wedged itself between the San Mateo and Strozzi's ship, unleashing a deadly fire. Meanwhile Álvaro de Bazán maneuvered to eliminate the enemy ships one by one and to relieve the ships that were in the greatest difficulty. In this situation, Brissac abandoned the battle, leaving Filippo Strozzi alone; Strozzi gave the signal to retreat but found himself attacked on both flanks by the San Martín and the nao Catalina, and had to surrender. The surrender of the flagship was the signal for all the French ships to take flight.

The Battle of Terceira Island ended in Spanish victory. Álvaro de Bazán's forces suffered two hundred twenty-four dead and five hundred thirty-three wounded,^[38] the nao María and the galleon San Mateo, with forty-five and forty dead and fifty-two and seventy-four wounded,^[39] being those that suffered the most casualties. French losses amounted to between twelve hundred and fifteen hundred dead, and they lost ten ships (two burned, four sunk and four abandoned).^[40]

After the battle he went to São Miguel Island to repair the damage to his ships, hospitalize the wounded and try the prisoners before a council of war.

At the council of war the French prisoners were accused of being pirates, since they had fought under the French flag without that nation being at war with Spain. The defense objected, arguing that there was a secret war between Spain and France, but Álvaro de Bazán did not accept such a justification and declared false the commissions presented by the prisoners; and, abiding by the instructions he had received from Philip II and from Henry III of France, who had agreed that every pirate, even if of French origin, should be sentenced to death, he signed the death sentence by which the prisoners would die: the lords and gentlemen beheaded and the sailors and soldiers hanged. The sentence was carried out on August 1, 1582, in the square of Villaflanca.^[41]

The conquest of Terceira Island

King Philip II trusted that Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán would land on Terceira Island, although he considered the safety of the Fleet of the Indies more important. Álvaro de Bazán did not carry out the landing for various reasons. In the first place, he lacked the means to launch an offensive. Second, he had to provide security for the Fleet of the Indies and, finally, a storm convinced him of how inopportune it would be to carry out any landing operation.

Landing of the Tercios on Terceira Island.

Philip, after trying once again to convince the Governor of the island to accept his sovereignty, ordered Álvaro de Bazán on February 10, 1583,^[42] to organize a new squadron with the objective of taking the island. France and England sent another fleet, placed under the command of Aymar de Chaste and consisting of fifteen ships and one thousand soldiers, to the aid of the island.^[43]

On June 23^[44] the fleet set sail, comprising ninety-three vessels and more than eight thousand soldiers,^[45] and it reached Terceira Island between July 23 and 24.^[46] As soon as the fleet had anchored, an emissary was sent to demand peace, promising free departure to the foreigners with their arms, flags and baggage, but the envoy was received with arquebus fire, escaping with his life by chance.

After confirming the impossibility of reaching peace, a place was sought on the island where the landing could be carried out most effectively, and an area known as the cove of Las Molas was found, which was finally chosen.

In the early morning of July 26 the amphibious operation began. While several vessels went to bombard the nearby forts in order to pin down the troops stationed there, a heavy artillery fire began against the positions on land and the landing boats approached the shore. The first to reach land were Ensign Francisco de la Rúa, Captain Luis de Guevara and the soldier Rodrigo de Cervantes (father of Miguel de Cervantes).^[47]

The Spanish troops attacked the trenches defending the beach and quickly dislodged the Franco-Portuguese troops. Enemy forces came from Praia da Vitória and other forts, but the Spanish took strong positions that made it possible to intercept the reinforcements being sent from Angra do Heroísmo.

When Álvaro de Bazán and Lope de Figueroa finally came ashore, measures were taken to conquer the fort of San Sebastián. The whole of the 26th was needed to take the town, and the Spanish troops suffered casualties of seventy dead and three hundred wounded.^[48]

The following day, Álvaro de Bazán directed his troops against Angra do Heroísmo while ordering the fleet to attack the ships anchored in the bay. The city and the bay were easily occupied by the Spanish forces, while the French withdrew into the interior of the island to prepare a desperate resistance that met with no success.

Preparation of the invasion of England

Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán was still in the Azores when he sent King Philip II his first proposal for an attack on England, which was rejected.

After his return to Lisbon on March 2, 1585,^[49] Álvaro de Bazán held his office of Captain General of the Ocean Sea and the Captaincy General of the men-at-arms of Portugal, enjoying broad powers.

In April 1585 it became known in Spain that Francis Drake was preparing an expedition that might have Portugal or America as its destination.

On April 30^[50] Álvaro de Bazán proposed the creation of a squadron consisting of 40 ships with more than 2,000 seamen and 3,000 soldiers.^[51] These measures were supplemented by the seizure of ships from England, Germany and other countries that were in Spanish ports.

With the conclusion of the Siege of Antwerp by Alexander Farnese, the entire Atlantic seaboard as far as Denmark could become hostile to England, so Elizabeth sent more aid to the rebel forces in the Low Countries. In the face of English hostility, Philip II decided to begin preparations to intervene in England. Álvaro de Bazán, who had not been consulted, sent Philip II, on January 13, 1586,^[52] a proposal for the conquest of England, urging the Monarch to take the offensive.

On January 26, 1586,^[53] Álvaro de Bazán was ordered to prepare a squadron to protect Galicia, Portugal and Biscay from corsair harassment. Drake's raid on Cádiz and other setbacks delayed the formation of the fleet. During these months, which would be the last of his life, Álvaro de Bazán devoted himself entirely to forming a fleet capable of carrying out the task that had been entrusted to him.

Philip II ended up growing impatient at the delay in forming the fleet that was to invade England and addressed Álvaro de Bazán in very harsh terms, since, owing to intrigues and disagreements, Philip II had become convinced that Álvaro de Bazán was unjustifiably delaying the moment of putting to sea. Although there is no record of the reason why he delayed his departure, his discontent and his lack of confidence in the means that had been placed at his disposal seem to be inferred.

According to some authors, the disagreements between the King and the Admiral continued until, on February 4, 1588, he was removed from his command of the fleet.^[54] However, other sources refute this opinion and that Álvaro de Bazán was removed.^[55] In fact, in a letter dated February 8 and addressed to the admiral, Philip II shows himself satisfied because the marquis is ready for the departure of the Great Armada, and the letter by which he informs the Duke of Medina Sidonia of his appointment as head of the Armada bears the date of February 14, 1588, after the death of the Marquis of Santa Cruz.^[56]

Álvaro de Bazán died in Lisbon on February 9, 1588.^[57] His remains were laid in the church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Viso del Marqués until they were moved in 1645 to the family pantheon located in the convent of San Francisco in the same town.^[55] In 1836, on the occasion of the confiscation of Mendizábal, his remains were moved back to the church, and in 1988 the Spanish Navy organized a funeral for him that once again placed the coffin in the Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz.^[58]

Military achievements

The figures resulting from the military campaigns of Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán reaffirm his place of honor among the greatest seamen Spain has produced:

Islands surrendered: 8
Cities surrendered: 2
Towns surrendered: 25
Castles and forts taken: 36
Captains general defeated: 8
Maestres de campo defeated: 2
Lords and principal gentlemen defeated: 60
French soldiers and sailors surrendered: 4,759
English soldiers and sailors surrendered: 780
Portuguese soldiers and sailors surrendered: 6,243
Christian prisoners freed: 1,564
Royal galleys captured: 44
Schooners captured: 21
Galleons and high-board ships captured: 99
Brigantines captured: 27
Turkish caramusals seized: 7
Morisco carabos seized: 3
Galleasses seized: 1
Artillery pieces captured: 1,814
Defeats: 0

Marquis and patron

The Renaissance poet Cristóbal Mosquera de Figueroa, when dedicating one of his books to him, gives the list of titles and honors held by Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán:

Eulogy of the most excellent lord Don Álvaro de Baçán, Marquis of Santa Cruz, lord of the Towns of Viso and Valdepeñas, Comendador mayor of León, of His Majesty's Council, and his Captain General of the Ocean Sea and of the men-at-arms of the Kingdom of Portugal.

— (Madrid, 1596)

For his military merits, King Philip II granted him the title of nobility of Marquis of Santa Cruz de Mudela, as he was Lord of the Town of Santa Cruz de Mudela, whereupon Viso del Puerto came to be called Viso del Marqués. He bought from Philip II the lordship of the town of Valdepeñas.

Palace of the Marquises of Santa Cruz and Álvaro de Bazán General Archive of the Navy, in the town of Viso del Marqués.

At the end of the 16th century he built two palaces, one in the main square of Valdepeñas, which has not survived, and another next to the parish church of El Viso del Marqués, which has survived: the Palace of the Marquis of Santa Cruz, currently used as the Álvaro de Bazán General Archive of the Navy. Work on the latter began in 1564 to the designs of Giovanni Battista Castello il Bergamasco, according to Ceán Bermúdez, although Fernando Marías maintains that the palace was designed by Enrique Egas the Younger and continued by il Bergamasco when he arrived from Italy in 1566 accompanied by good artists and decorators. The palace is considered a jewel of the Spanish Renaissance.

Álvaro had the palace decorated with fine frescoes by the Italian Mannerist painter Giovanni Battista Peroli, who arrived from Italy in 1574, hired by the Marquis to work on the palace together with his relatives Esteban and Juan Esteban Peroli and with Cesare de Bellis, a Venetian, who since Ceán Bermúdez has been confused with Cesare Arbasia.^[59]

The Marquis wished to reside halfway between the Court and the Port of Seville, which, as a famous seaman, he had to visit frequently; throughout his life he took care to redeem captives from the Muslims. In the adjoining parish church, Our Lady of the Assumption, a reptile of colossal proportions known as "the Lizard of Viso" was deposited by the Marquis as an ex-voto. It is a stuffed Nile crocodile hanging beneath the central vault of the presbytery on one of the side walls, a gift to the Marquis from a Muslim pasha on one of his voyages.

The Marquises of Santa Cruz protected the arts and letters. Several writers dedicated some of their works to them. Such were the cases of Lope de Vega, Luis de Góngora and Miguel de Cervantes. It is very possible that Don Álvaro protected Bernardo de Balbuena and other poets, such as an unknown «bachiller Jarana». Don Álvaro's son favored Félix Lope de Vega, who dedicated a comedy to him, and during the 18th century they promoted local industries and education in their lordships and protected Enlightenment writers and intellectuals such as Carlos de Praves, José Viera y Clavijo or Manuel Lanz de Casafonda, who were tutors to their children.