Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz
Encyclopedia
Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz de Mudela (December 12, 1526 – February 9, 1588), was a Spanish admiral.
.
His grandfather, Álvaro de Bazán, took part in the conquest of Granada in 1492, and his father took part together with Giovanni Andrea Doria
and others marines in the recapture of
Tunis
in 1535, and was distinguished in the service of Charles V
, by whom he was made general of the galleys or commander-in-chief of the Spanish naval forces in the Mediterranean.
The future admiral followed his father in his youth, and was employed in the high command of the Spanish navy at a fairly early age. He was a member of the Military Order of Santiago
(St. James
). In 1564, he aided in the capture of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
, and commanded the division of galleys employed to blockade
Tetuan, and to suppress the piracy
carried on from that port. The service is said to have been successfully performed. Bazán certainly earned the confidence of Philip II
, by whom he was appointed to command the galleys of Naples
in 1568. This post brought him into close relations with John of Austria, when the Holy League was formed against the Turks
in 1570.
During the operations which preceded and followed the Battle of Lepanto
(7 October 1571), Bazán was always in favor of the more energetic course. In the battle he commanded the reserve division, and his prompt energy averted a disaster when Uluj Ali
, who commanded the left wing of the Turks, outmaneuvered the commander of the Christian right, Gian Andrea Dorea, the nephew of his old comrade Andrea Doria, and broke the Allied line. He accompanied Don John of Austria at the taking of Tunis
in the following year.
When Philip II enforced his claim as heir to the crown of Portugal
in 1580-1581, Santa Cruz held a naval command. But António, Prior of Crato
, an illegitimate representative of the former Portuguese royal family
, who conducted some popular resistance to the crowning of what was seen as a foreign king, continued to hold the islands of the Azores
. António was supported by a number of French
adventurers under Philip Strozzi
, a Florentine
exile in the service of France. Santa Cruz was sent as "Admiral of the Ocean" to drive the pretender and his friends away in 1583. Badly outnumbered, he won the Battle of Ponta Delgada
off Terceira Island
against a loose confederation of Portuguese, French, English
and Dutch
adventurers and privateers, which decided the struggle for the Azores in favor of the Spanish Habsburgs.
Santa Cruz, who recognized that England presented a grave threat to Spain's empire, became a zealous advocate of war. A letter written by him to King Philip from Angra do Heroísmo
in Terceira
, on August 9, 1583, contains the first definite suggestion of the Spanish Armada
.
Santa Cruz himself was to have commanded. His plans, schemes and estimates occupy a conspicuous place in the documents concerning the Armada collected by Don Cesário Duro. The hesitating character of the king, and his many embarrassments, political and financial, caused many delays, and left Santa Cruz unable to act with effect. He was at Lisbon
without the means of fitting out his fleet, when Francis Drake
burnt the Spanish ships at Cádiz
during his 1587 expedition. The independence of judgment shown by Santa Cruz ended by offending the king, and he was held responsible for the failures and delays which were the result of the bad management of his master. His death, which occurred on February 9, 1588 at Lisbon, was said to have been hastened by the unjustified reproaches of the king.
The great galleon
s employed to carry the trade between Cadiz in Spain and Vera Cruz in Mexico
were the joint creation of the Marquis de Santa Cruz and Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
.
The documents relating to the Spanish Armada have been collected by Don Cesáreo Fernández Duro in La Armada Invencible, and he gives a biography of the marquis in his Conquista de las Islas Azores. A separate life has been published by Don Ángel de Altolaguirre. There are various notices of Santa Cruz in Sir W. Stirling Maxwell's
Don John of Austria.
Several ships of the Spanish Navy
were named Álvaro de Bazán in his honour. Currently, a new class of frigates
is being built for the Spanish Navy, and the lead ship is the Álvaro de Bazán (F101).
Biography
Álvaro de Bazán was born in GranadaGranada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
.
His grandfather, Álvaro de Bazán, took part in the conquest of Granada in 1492, and his father took part together with Giovanni Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria was an Italian condottiere and admiral from Genoa.-Early life:Doria was born at Oneglia from the ancient Genoese family, the Doria di Oneglia branch of the old Doria, de Oria or de Auria family. His parents were related: Ceva Doria, co-lord of Oneglia, and Caracosa Doria, of the...
and others marines in the recapture of
Conquest of Tunis
The Conquest of Tunis in 1535 was an attack on Tunis, then under the control of the Ottoman Empire, by the Spanish Empire.-Background:In 1533, Suleiman ordered Hayreddin Barbarossa, whom he had summoned from Algiers, to build a large war fleet in the arsenal of Constantinople...
Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
in 1535, and was distinguished in the service of Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, by whom he was made general of the galleys or commander-in-chief of the Spanish naval forces in the Mediterranean.
The future admiral followed his father in his youth, and was employed in the high command of the Spanish navy at a fairly early age. He was a member of the Military Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
(St. James
Saint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
). In 1564, he aided in the capture of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera , in ancient times Badis or Bades, is a Spanish rock in North Africa off the Moroccan coast . It is part of several Peñones, or rock-fortresses on the coast of Northern Africa. Vélez de la Gomera is administered from Melilla...
, and commanded the division of galleys employed to blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
Tetuan, and to suppress the piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
carried on from that port. The service is said to have been successfully performed. Bazán certainly earned the confidence of Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
, by whom he was appointed to command the galleys of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in 1568. This post brought him into close relations with John of Austria, when the Holy League was formed against the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1570.
During the operations which preceded and followed the Battle of Lepanto
Battle of Lepanto (1571)
The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic maritime states, decisively defeated the main fleet of the Ottoman Empire in five hours of fighting on the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off western Greece...
(7 October 1571), Bazán was always in favor of the more energetic course. In the battle he commanded the reserve division, and his prompt energy averted a disaster when Uluj Ali
Uluj Ali
Uluj Ali was an Italian by birth who converted to Islam, became a pirate, and later became an Ottoman admiral and Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Fleet in the 16th century.He was also known by several other names in...
, who commanded the left wing of the Turks, outmaneuvered the commander of the Christian right, Gian Andrea Dorea, the nephew of his old comrade Andrea Doria, and broke the Allied line. He accompanied Don John of Austria at the taking of Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
in the following year.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1580-1581, Santa Cruz held a naval command. But António, Prior of Crato
António, Prior of Crato
António, Prior of Crato , was a grandson of King Manuel I of Portugal, claimant of the Portuguese throne during the 1580 dynastic crisis, who was King of Portugal as António I of Portugal during 33 days in the continent in 1580, and, after the crowning of Philip II of Spain as King of Portugal,...
, an illegitimate representative of the former Portuguese royal family
House of Aviz
The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. In 1385, the Interregnum of the 1383-1385 crisis ended with the acclamation of the Master of the Order of Aviz, John, natural son of king Peter I and Dona Teresa Lourenço as king...
, who conducted some popular resistance to the crowning of what was seen as a foreign king, continued to hold the islands of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. António was supported by a number of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
adventurers under Philip Strozzi
Filippo di Piero Strozzi
Filippo di Piero Strozzi was an Italian condottiero, a member of the Florentine family of the Strozzi. He fought mainly for France.-Biography:...
, a Florentine
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
exile in the service of France. Santa Cruz was sent as "Admiral of the Ocean" to drive the pretender and his friends away in 1583. Badly outnumbered, he won the Battle of Ponta Delgada
Battle of Ponta Delgada
The naval Battle of Ponta Delgada, Battle of São Miguel or Battle of Terceira took place on July 26, 1582, in the sea near the Azores, off São Miguel Island, as part of the War of the Portuguese Succession...
off Terceira Island
Terceira Island
Referred to as the “Ilha Lilás” , Terceira is an island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 56,000 inhabitants in an area of approximately 396.75 km²...
against a loose confederation of Portuguese, French, English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
adventurers and privateers, which decided the struggle for the Azores in favor of the Spanish Habsburgs.
Santa Cruz, who recognized that England presented a grave threat to Spain's empire, became a zealous advocate of war. A letter written by him to King Philip from Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo , locally referred to as Angra, is a municipality and city on the island of Terceira, within the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores. The municipal area has a population of 35,581 and an area of . Along with Praia da Vitória to the north, it is one of two municipal...
in Terceira
Terceira Island
Referred to as the “Ilha Lilás” , Terceira is an island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 56,000 inhabitants in an area of approximately 396.75 km²...
, on August 9, 1583, contains the first definite suggestion of the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
.
Santa Cruz himself was to have commanded. His plans, schemes and estimates occupy a conspicuous place in the documents concerning the Armada collected by Don Cesário Duro. The hesitating character of the king, and his many embarrassments, political and financial, caused many delays, and left Santa Cruz unable to act with effect. He was at Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
without the means of fitting out his fleet, when Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
burnt the Spanish ships at Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
during his 1587 expedition. The independence of judgment shown by Santa Cruz ended by offending the king, and he was held responsible for the failures and delays which were the result of the bad management of his master. His death, which occurred on February 9, 1588 at Lisbon, was said to have been hastened by the unjustified reproaches of the king.
The great galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
s employed to carry the trade between Cadiz in Spain and Vera Cruz in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
were the joint creation of the Marquis de Santa Cruz and Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...
.
The documents relating to the Spanish Armada have been collected by Don Cesáreo Fernández Duro in La Armada Invencible, and he gives a biography of the marquis in his Conquista de las Islas Azores. A separate life has been published by Don Ángel de Altolaguirre. There are various notices of Santa Cruz in Sir W. Stirling Maxwell's
William Stirling-Maxwell
Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, 9th Baronet, of Pollok , was a Scottish historical writer and art historian, politician and virtuoso.-Early life:...
Don John of Austria.
Several ships of the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
were named Álvaro de Bazán in his honour. Currently, a new class of frigates
Álvaro de Bazán class frigate
The Álvaro de Bazán class are a new class of Aegis combat system-equipped air defense frigates entering service with the Spanish Navy...
is being built for the Spanish Navy, and the lead ship is the Álvaro de Bazán (F101).