Juan de Urbieta
Encyclopedia
Juan de Urbieta Berástegui y Lezo (Hernani
Hernani, Spain
Hernani is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is located at Latitude: 43° 16' 0N , Longitude: 1° 58' 0W. Hernani has an altitude of 200 ft .-External links:* and Basque.* Basque, , and ....

, ? - died, 22nd August 1553) was an Spanish infantryman who became famous when he captured king Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...

 near the end of the Battle of Pavia
Battle of Pavia
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...

 on 24 February, 1525.

Capture of King Francis I

Surrounded by imperial troops, the king of France and his escort, who were fighting on foot at that time, tried to break through the enemy, but Francis' horse was killed before he could complete the maneuver, and when he was able to get on his feet again, there was a sword pointing at his neck. It was Juan de Urbieta's sword. The Basque soldier, together with Diego Dávila & Alonso Pita da Veiga
Alonso Pita da Veiga
Alonso Pita da Veiga, born in Ferrol in 15th century Galicia, Spain, was one of the most remarkable officers of the Spanish Tercios fighting under the orders of Count Fernando de Andrade in the Battle of Pavia , and in other battles of the Italian Wars between the years 1513-1525...

, accepted his surrender. They didn't know who their captive was, but due to his expensive clothes and armour they supposed he would be a great noble. They were shocked when, in handing him to their officers, they were informed that they had captured the king of France.

Consequences

Urbieta obtained fame & honours due to this action. Emperor Charles granted him a coat-of-arms and issued him a document certifying his merits. He was promoted to cavalry officer and obtained the titles of knight of Santiago & "Contino de Su Majestad". Also, Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...

 wrote him a letter thanking him for accepting his surrender in the course of the battle, letting him stay alive.

He died on 22nd August 1553 in Hernani
Hernani, Spain
Hernani is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is located at Latitude: 43° 16' 0N , Longitude: 1° 58' 0W. Hernani has an altitude of 200 ft .-External links:* and Basque.* Basque, , and ....

, the same place in which he was born, and he was buried inside the church of Saint John the Baptist, as he asked in his testament. His remains were desecrated by French soldiers during the Peninsular War.

External links

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