Antonio Pérez (statesman)

Antonio Pérez (1540–1611) was a Spanish statesman, secretary of king Philip II of Spain.

He was said to have organised the murder of Juan de Escobedo. Attempts to prosecute Perez led to riots and disorder. He eventually fled Spain after being liberated from prison by his supporters, and spent most of his remaining years in France.

Antonio Perez was born in Madrid in 1534. In 1542 he was legalized as son of Gonzalo Pérez, Secretary of the Council of State of king Charles I of Spain (Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). Most probably Antonio was indeed the son of Gonzalo Pérez but conceived while Gonzalo was clergy. Even though Antonio was born in Madrid his attachment was to Aragon where his father was from and where his family was most influential. His followers and supporters were all from Aragon and later in life he would flee to Aragon to find support for himself and protection from the king's persecution.

Antonio Pérez was raised in Val de Concha, Guadalajara, in the lands of Ruy Gomez de Silva, Prince of Eboli and leader of one of the political factions of the time, of which Gonzalo Pérez was part. (The other faction was that of the Duke of Alba.) Antonio later attended the most prestigious universities such as Alcalá de Henares, Salamanca, Leuven, Venice and Padua. His father introduced and trained him in matters of State.

In 1543 Gonzalo Pérez was appointed secretary of Prince (later king) Philip. In 1556 Charles abdicated his Spanish kingdoms to his son who became king Philip of the several Spanish kingdoms (Castile, Aragon, etc.) and Gonzalo Pérez continued as secretary of the new king. Gonzalo Pérez died in 1566 and his son Antonio was made Secretary of State of Castile a year later.

During the first ten years as secretary Gonzalo Pérez had great influence over king Philip who valued his advice. With the death of the Prince of Eboli in 1573 Antonio Pérez became the leader of that faction in accord with the widow, Ana de Mendoza, the one-eyed Princess of Éboli.

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