Álvaro VII of Kongo
| Álvaro VII | |
|---|---|
| Mwene Kongo | |
| Reign | December 1665 – June 1666 |
| Predecessor | Afonso II of Kongo and Nkondo |
| Successor | Álvaro VIII |
| Born | 1631 |
| Died | June 1666 (aged 34/35) |
Álvaro VII (Mpanzu-a-Mabondo) (1631 – June 1666) was king of the Kingdom of Congo from 1665 to 1666.
When the death of Antonio I at the Battle of Mbwila (October 29, 1665) was announced, Álvaro, a relative of the dead sovereign and a member of the Kinlaza lineage, was proclaimed king.
The new king sent a trusted Capuchin, Friar Girolamo of Montesarchio, to make peace with the Portuguese in to Luanda, Angola, in Christmas 1665. But the friar was waylaid by a rebellion in Mbamba, and only returned to the capital in June 1666, where he found Álvaro VII already dead; in the meantime, the powerful Count of Soyo, Paulo da Silva, had marched on São Salvador (the capital of the kingdom), killed the king and proclaimed Álvaro VIII in his place.