A Madrid court has ruled that Fernando Ramírez de Haro, 10th Marquess of Villanueva del Duero, must pay his brother Íñigo Ramirez de Haro, Marquis de Cazaza in Africa, €853,732 from the proceeds of the 2012 sale of Francisco de Goya's portrait *Portrait of Valentín Belvís de Moncada* (ca. 1795–1800). The painting, inherited from their father, was sold for €5.8 million to billionaire Juan Miguel Villar Mir via Sotheby's. Íñigo sued Fernando for failing to distribute shares of the sale to siblings as agreed in a 2014 family settlement, alleging fraud, document falsification, and that Fernando's wife, former Spanish minister Esperanza Aguirre, abused her office by not registering the work as national heritage.
This ruling highlights the complex intersection of aristocratic inheritance, art market transactions, and legal accountability in Spain. The case underscores how family disputes over valuable Old Master paintings can escalate into high-profile litigation involving provenance, authenticity (certified by former Prado curator Manuela Mena), and even political figures. The painting's subsequent 2023 declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest by Madrid further elevates its significance, ensuring maximum protection and public interest in a work that remained hidden from view for centuries.