Alvaro De Luna

LUNA, ALVARO DE (d. 1453), constable of Castile, grand master of Santiago, and favourite of King John II. of Castile, was the natural son of Alvaro de Luna, a Castilian noble. Sent to court as a page by his uncle, Pedro de Luna, archbishop of Toledo, in 1410, he early acquired an ascendancy over the young prince. When Ferdinand, John's uncle, was elected king of Aragon, and the regency remained in the hands of the king's mother, Constance, daughter of John of Gaunt, Alvaro became a very important person. He was a master of all the accomplish ments the king admired—a fine horseman, a skilful lance and a writer of court verse. Until he lost the king's protection he was the central figure of the Castilian history of the time. His story is in the main one of expulsion from the court by victorious factions, and of his return when his conquerors fell out among themselves. Expelled in 1427, he was recalled to court in 1428; in 1431 he sought to employ the turbulent nobles in a war for the conquest of Granada. Some successes were gained, but a consistent policy was impossible with a rebellious aristocracy and a king of indolent character. In 1445 the Infantes de Aragon, Alvaro's main enemies, were beaten at Olmedo, and the favourite, who had been constable of Castile and count of Santesteban since 1423, became grand master of Santiago by election of the knights. His fall was due to Isabella of Portugal, the king's second wife, who urged her husband to free himself from slavery to his favourite. In 1453 Alvaro was arrested, and, after a mere parody

of justice, executed at Valladolid on 2, 1453 See Cronica de don Alvaro de Luna (1784), mainly panegyrical; Cronica del . . . Rey Don Juan el segundo (Valencia, 1779) ; Quintana, Vidas de Espanoles celebres (1807, etc.).

LUNA

(mod. Luni), ancient city, Etruria, Italy, m. south east of Sarzana. It was the frontier town of Etruria, on the left bank of the river Macra, the imperial boundary between Etruria and Liguria. When the Romans first appeared, however, the Ligu rians were in possession of the territory as far as Pisa. It derived its importance mainly from its harbour, the Gulf of Spezia, and not merely the estuary of the Macra as some have supposed. The town was apparently not established until 177 B.C., though the harbour is mentioned by Ennius, who sailed hence for Sardinia in 205 B.C. under Manlius Torquatus. It was traversed by the coast road (Via Aurelia), and was renowned for marble from Carrara, which bore the name of Luna marble. Pliny speaks of the quarries as only recently discovered in his day. Good wine was also pro duced. There are some remains of a theatre and an amphitheatre. The town was destroyed by the Arabs in 1016, and the episcopal see transferred to Sarzana in 1204.