Héctor de Pignatelli y Colonna



Héctor de Pignatelli y Colonna (1572–1622), also known as Ettore III Pignatelli, was the fourth Duke of Monteleone. He served as the viceroy of Catalonia from 1603 to 1611 who in 1610 took the decision to expel the Moriscos born and living in Spain who were not willing to relinquish their Islamic faith.

Born in 1574, Monteleón was the son and heir of Camilo Pignatelli y Folch de Cardona, 2nd Duke of Monteleón (died 1583), son of Ettore Pignatelli e Caraffa, 1st Duke of Monteleone, by his first wife, Diana Folch de Cardona y Gonzaga (daughter of Pedro Folch de Cardona, 3rd Count of Colisano, and Susanna Gonzaga). His mother was Girolama Colonna y d'Aragona, a daughter of Ascanio Colonna di Paliano, 1st Count of Tagliacozzo (1500–1557) by his marriage to Giovanna d'Aragona. He inherited the dukedom at the age of nine, on his father's death.

Monteleón's paternal grandfather, who had been viceroy of Sicily from 1517 to 1534, had been elevated to the title of "Duke of Monteleone" by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, on 29 March 1527.

Monteleón married Caterina Caracciolo y Mendoza, a daughter of Carlo Caracciolo, 6th Count of Sant'Angelo, and Ana de Mendoza, but they had no sons. When he died in 1622 he was succeeded by his daughter Girolama Pignatelli y Caracciolo, who became Duchess of Monteleone. She married Fabrizio Pignatelli, 3rd Prince of Noia, and in due course passed her father's ducal title on to her son Ettore, who became 5th Duke of Monteleone and 4th Prince of Noia.

The 15th-century chronicle Diurnali del duca di Monteleone is named after a manuscript he once owned.