Palafox y Melzi, José Rebolledo de

duke of Zaragoza. Born 1776 in Zaragoza; died Feb. 15, 1847, in Madrid. Spanish military leader.

As captain general of Aragón in 1808–09, Palafox helped organize the heroic defense of Zaragoza, which was besieged by French troops. After the fall of the city to the invaders, he was captured and detained in the Vincennes Fort in France from 1809 to 1813. Upon returning to Spain, Palafox was for a time captain general of Aragón. In the Spanish Revolution of 1820–23, he advocated a constitutional system and thereby incurred the displeasure of the king. In later years he did not play an active role in the country’s political life.