Hugo of Moncada i Gralla

Hugo of Montcada i Gralla was the commander of the Galleasses of the Spanish Armada. He was the second son of Francesc I de Montcada, first Marquess of Aitona and Count of Osona, and his wife, Lucrècia Gralla.[1]

Not to be confused with Hugo of Moncada.
Defeat of the Spanish Armada.

Belonging to the noble House of Montcada, his brother Gastó of Montcada i Gralla (first-born of 17 children) inherited the immense family fortune. His other brother was Joan of Montcada i Gralla, Archbishop of Tarragona (1613-1622) and Bishop of Barcelona (1610-1612).

Participation in the Spanish Armada

Charge

Hugo of Montcada was appointed commander of the fleet of Naples. The flagship was the Galleass San Lorenzo. The Galleass-galleon La Girona was part of that fleet. The Galleasses were:

  • The San Lorenzo (captain-ship of the fleet of Naples)-Captain Joan Setantí.[2]
  • The Zúñiga (patron-ship of the fleet of Naples)-Captain Pere Centelles
  • La Girona-Captain Fabrizio Spínola, Genoese.[3]
  • La Napolitana[4]-Captain Perrucchio Morán

Galleass San Lorenzo
A Galleass of Malta in the Spanish Armada

This ship had 124 sailors, 50 guns, 300 oarsmen and 270 soldiers.[5][6][7]

It was built in Naples.[8] It displaced 762 tones and was the largest ship and, according to some, the most splendid of the entire Spanish Armada.

Nautical difficulties

One of the most difficult variables that made navigating the British Channel so dangerous were (and still are) the currents caused by the tides. Local pilots had good knowledge of those currents.[9]

Battle actions
  • According to various testimonials (documentaries and film documentaries), the Galleass San Lorenzo could not progress rowing against the current caused by the tide.
  • Alonso, Duke of Medina Sidonia did not give Hugo of Montcada permission to attack the Ark Royal when she was within his reach and in conditions of superiority.[10]
  • The San Lorenzo was the first ship that warned of the danger of the eight ships sent by Francis Drake against the anchored Spanish navy.
  • The order of the Duke of Medina Sidonia to cut the chains of the anchors of all the ships of the armada caused chaos and many collisions between them.

Final disaster

The references to the fact are numerous and not always coincident.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

In the confusion brought about by the collisions, a shock rendered unusable the rudder of the San Lorenzo. The maneuver with the oars was not sufficiently agile to fight under the attack of the enemies (from the Ark Royal in particular). Hugo of Montcada decided to go to refuge in the port of Calais (under French control and, in theory, neutral). He did not reach the entrance by sailing or the oars. The galleass tried to enter the port of Calais but bogged down near the entrance and lay half sideways. The soldiers (probably terrified by the incident) deserted the ship, jumping into the water. Many of them drowned. Only a few faithful remained aboard.

The English sent a few boats with soldiers to seize the galleass. Finally Charles Howard sent reinforcements with the Ark Royal's Panescalm boat to reduce the last resistance. Hugo of Montcada was killed with an arquebus shot to his head, and Joan Setantí and other Catalans defenders died as well.


Important testimonial

According to the work "Armada Invencible" by Cesáreo Fernández Duro, there is a description of the final attack and the death of Hugo of Montcada according to the statements of a slave of the Marquis de Santa Cruz (Volume I, page 118, document K.1467, item 18).[21]

See also

References
  1. Fundación medinaceli
  2. Cayetano Rosell (1863). Historiadores de sucesos particulares. M. Rivadeneyra. pp. 8–.
  3. Víctor San Juan (5 March 2017). Breve historia de la Armada Invencible. Ediciones Nowtilus. pp. 172–. ISBN 978-84-9967-849-8.
  4. Cordero, Javier; Hernández, Ricardo J. (1 January 2011). Operación Gran Armada: La logística invencible. Ediciones Díaz de Santos. pp. 166–. ISBN 978-84-9969-965-3.
  5. Víctor San Juan (5 March 2017). Breve historia de la Armada Invencible. Ediciones Nowtilus. pp. 163–. ISBN 978-84-9967-849-8.
  6. Geoffrey Parker (7 October 2014). Historia de la guerra. Ediciones AKAL. pp. 125–. ISBN 978-84-460-3983-9.
  7. Saturnino Ruiz de Loizaga; Saturnino Ullivarri (2004). Piratas y corsarios en Cuba. Editorial Renacimiento. pp. 32–. ISBN 978-84-8472-127-7.
  8. Luis Cabrera de Córdoba (1877). Filipe Segundo, rey de España ... [Por] Luis Cabrera de Córdoba ... Impr., estereotipica y galvanoplastia de Aribau. pp. 299–.
  9. Video: Corrents de marea al canal de la Mànega.
  10. Jacques-Auguste de Thou; Nicolas Rigault (1734). Histoire universelle de Jacques-Auguste de Thou: depuis 1543. jusqu'en 1607. pp. 181–.
  11. Reign of Elizabeth ; Volume VI. 1870. pp. 477–.
  12. Jacques-Auguste de Thou; Nicolas Rigault (1734). Histoire universelle de Jacques-Auguste de Thou: depuis 1543. jusqu'en 1607. pp. 186–.
  13. Juan de Ferreras (1775). Synopsis histórica chronologica de España. en la Imprenta de Don Antonio Pérez de Soto. pp. 336–.
  14. John Lothrop Motley (1860). History of the United Netherlands from the death of William the silent to the Synod of Dort, with a full view of the English-Dutch struggle against Spain, and of the origin and destruction of the Spanish armada. John Murray. pp. 493–.
  15. Luis Gorrochategui Santos (22 February 2018). The English Armada: The Greatest Naval Disaster in English History. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-1-350-01699-6.
  16. The Field of Mars: Being an Alphabetical Digestion of the Principal Naval and Military Engagements, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, Particularly of Great Britain and Her Allies, from the Ninth Century to the Present Period ... Selected from the Best Historians and Journalists, and Adjusted from the Greatest Authority ... To which is Prefixed an Essay on the Art of War, and a Comprehensive System of Military and Naval Discipline ... J. Macgowan. 1801. pp. 72–.
  17. The Christian Observer. Whiting & Watson. 1803. pp. 476–.
  18. Andre Du Chesne (1666). Histoire d'Angleterre, d'Escosse, et d'Irlande, contenant les choses les plus dignes de memoire ... Nouv. ed., rev. et corr. et cont. ... par Du Verdier. Lovys Billaine. pp. 2–.
  19. The Athenæum: A Journal of Literature, Science, the Fine Arts, Music, and the Drama. British Periodicals Limited. 1860. pp. 823–.
  20. Carlos Coloma (1627). Las Guerras de los Estados Baxos desde el ano de mil y quinientos ochenta y ocho, hasta el de mil y quinientosnouenta y nueue. Recopiladas por do. Carlos Coloma cauallero del habito de Santiago . a costa de Miguel Manescal mercader de libros. pp. 7–.
  21. Armada Invencible. Duro. Vol. 1.
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