Gabriel de Borbón

Gabriel de Borbón y Wettin (Portici, May 12 1752 - El Escorial, November 23 1788) was an infante of Spain.

Born as Gabriel Antonio Francisco Javier Juan Nepomuceno José Serafin Pascual Salvador, he was the fourth son of Charles III of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony.

Of all the sons of Charles III, Gabriel was the most intelligent and hardworking. He was very cultured, renown to be an excellent translator of Sallust and a true Maecenas. He had Antonio Soler as his music teacher, who composed several sonatas on harpsichord especially for his gifted pupil, as well as concerts for two organs to be interpreted together in the El Escorial church.

He was Grand Prior of the Orden Hospitalaria de San Juan in Castilla y León. In 1771 he instructed Juan de Villanueva to build the so called Casita del Infante.

He died at the age of 36, just a few months before his father. His death caused the monarch the most profound sadness.

He had married Infanta Mariana Vitória of Portugal on April 12 1785 in Lisbon, and again on May 23 of the same year in Aranjuez.

The couple had 3 children:

• Pedro Carlos (June 18 1786 - July 4 1812), married Teresa, Princess of Beira, and had one child : Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain.
• Maria Carlota (November 4-11 1787).
• Carlos José Antonio (October 28 - November 9 1788).