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Alonso Pita da Veiga (born 1485–1490 in Ferrol,
A Coruña A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and ...
, died 1554 in
Pontedeume Pontedeume () is a municipality in the province of A Coruña in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain. The town was founded ''ex novo'' by the town charter of Alfonso X the Wise in 1270. The town is located on the English Wa ...
,
A Coruña A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and ...
), was a Spanish nobleman and military officer. He was among the commanders of the Spanish Tercios fighting under the orders of Count Fernando de Andrade in the
Battle of Pavia The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–1526 between the Kingdom of France and the Habsburg empire of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor as well as ruler of Spain, A ...
, and in other battles of the
Italian Wars The Italian Wars, also known as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts covering the period 1494 to 1559, fought mostly in the Italian peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean Sea. The p ...
between 1513 and 1525. He was granted the right to display a coat of arms, and was granted land and property in
Ferrolterra Ferrol is a coastal ''comarca'' in the northwest of the province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. It is also known as Ferrolterra. The area is 613.4 km2, and the overall population of this ''comarca'' was 161,154 at the 2011 Census; the latest offic ...
, his birthplace, for having participated in the capture, on the battlefield, of the king of France,
Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...
.


Decree awarding coat of arms

The decree granting a coat of arms to Alonso Pita da Veiga was archived at the General Archive of
Simancas Simancas is a town and municipality of central Spain, located in the province of Valladolid, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated approximately 10 km southwest of the provincial capital Valladolid, on the ro ...
(''Archivo general de Simancas, legajo 388, rotulado de "Mercedes y Privilegios."'') and was issued by Emperor
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...
on 24 July 1529, four years after the Battle of Pavia. A verbatim text of the decree can be found in, among other 19th century Spanish books, in the book ''Crisol historico espanol y restauracion de glorias nacionales'', published in Havana, Cuba in 1862 by the Spanish historian José Ferrer de Couto. A summary of the document, in English translation, gives the following details: "Alonso Pita da Veiga, Galician, and our vassal" served his majesty well in several battles including the Battle of Bicencio and the Battle of Vicoca. In regards to the Battle of Pavia, the decree states that Alonso Pita da Veiga recaptured the standard " ... of His Most Serene Infante Don Fernando, who is now King of Hungary, Our most dear and loved son and brother, which bore the insignia of Our
Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; la, Ducatus Burgundiae; french: Duché de Bourgogne, ) emerged in the 9th century as one of the successors of the ancient Kingdom of the Burgundians, which after its conquest in 532 had formed a constituent part of the ...
, which the French had taken when the standard-bearer was killed”. This refers to the standard of Ferdinand, the brother of Charles V, whose troops fought at Pavia. For this action, Alonso Pita da Veiga was awarded 600 gold ducats. In regards to the capture of King Francis I of France, the decree states "and in the same battle, you accomplished so much that you reached the person of said King (Francis I of France) and captured him, jointly with the other persons that captured him.” So, in effect, Charles V credited a group of individuals, and not a single individual, with the capture of King Francis I. For that action, Alonso Pita da Veiga was awarded the sum of 30,0000 maravedís per year, for life, "above and beyond your pay as an ''hombre de arma''". "Hombre de arma" was a term used in that era to signify a mounted warrior as opposed to a foot soldier. The decree states that Alonso Pita da Veiga took from Francis I of France the following: "and you took from him his left gauntlet and a brocade decorated with four crosses of silver cloth and a crucifix made of the True Cross, of which events the same King of France gave testimony in a document signed by his own hand." The decree then awards Alonso Pita da Veiga a coat of arms, described in the decree, that incorporates the different elements of his deeds at the Battle of Pavia: “A coat of arms, quartered, the first quarter colored the color of blood and in it a gauntlet as a symbol that you took said King of France, and a royal Crown of gold above of said gauntlet; and in the lower quarter, a blue field with three gold
fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
which are the true arms of the Kings of France; and in the right quarter with the field colored as the superior quarter and in it the brocade decorated with its crosses; and the left quarter, likewise colored, and in it the said standard of the Most Serene King of Hungary with the arms of Our Duchy of Burgundy.”


See also

*
Habsburg Spain Habsburg Spain is a contemporary historiographical term referring to the huge extent of territories (including modern-day Spain, a piece of south-east France, eventually Portugal, and many other lands outside of the Iberian Peninsula) ruled b ...
First Habsburg of Spain i.e.:
Charles I of Spain Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...
who was also Emperor Charles V


References


External links

*
Genealogy of Captain Alonso Pita da Veiga
''Xenealogías do Ortegal'', archived 21 July 2011
Battle of PaviaItaly (1525)
''Diario de Ferrol'', 6 September 2002 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pita da Veiga, Alonso 15th-century births Date of death missing Spanish military personnel People from Ferrol, Spain People from Galicia (Spain)