Alfonso de Ávalos (1502-1546), Marquis of Vasto and Pescara, was an outstanding soldier whom Carlos V (1500-1558) sent to Venice to greet the new Dux. That is when this painting was commissioned.

The scene depicts one of the most important moments in the Marquis' life: the speech he gave in 1537 that managed to put down a mutiny by Spanish troops in Lobardy. His son, Francisco Ferrante, who appears next to him, was ceded as a hostage to guarantee that the Marquis would keep his promises.

The composition of this painting recalls various classic examples, such as the reliefs on the Arch of Constantine.

This work passed from the Ávalos family into the collection of the Duke of Mantual from whence it was acquired by Charles I of England. It's first documented appearance in Spain is in the 1666 inventory of Madrid's Alcázar Palace. It entered the Prado Museum collection in 1828.