Admiral of Castile was the representative of the King of Castile at the head of the Navy. It was a dignity created in 1247 that lasted until 1705.

Admiral of Castile

The title of Admiral of Castile was created by King Ferdinand III the Saint in 1247 for the successful

Siege of Seville The siege of Seville (July 1247 – November 1248) was a 16-month successful investment during the ''Reconquista'' of Seville by forces of Ferdinand III of Castile. Although perhaps eclipsed in geopolitical importance by the rapid capture of ...

, appointing Ramón de Bonifaz to that position.
After the conquest of Seville, this title was covered with great authority, power and pre-eminence, which are specified by

Alfonso X the Wise Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, es, el Sabio; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 30 May 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Germ ...

in the

Siete Partidas The ''Siete Partidas'' (, "Seven-Part Code") or simply ''Partidas'', was a Crown of Castile, Castilian Statute, statutory code first compiled during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile (1252–1284), with the intent of establishing a uniform body ...

. The Admiral resided in Seville, because the Royal Shipyards were constructed there and it was the place where the fleets were armed and organized and where the special maritime court was also located. Among the multiple attributions and powers of the admiral, they included having a voice and casting vote in the

Council of Castile The Council of Castile ( es, Real y Supremo Consejo de Castilla), known earlier as the Royal Council ( es, Consejo Real), was a ruling body and key part of the domestic government of the Crown of Castile, second only to the monarch himself. It ...

. From 1405 to 1705, this position became the heritage of the Enríquez family, descendants of the infante Fadrique Alfonso, natural son of King Alfonso XI of Castile. The first of this family to hold the Admiralty was Alfonso Enríquez, by concession of

Henry III of Castile Henry III of Castile (4 October 1379 – 25 December 1406), called the Suffering due to his ill health (, ), was the son of John I and Eleanor of Aragon. He succeeded his father as King of Castile in 1390. Birth and education Henry was bor ...

. In the fifteenth century, the institution of the Admiral of Castile lost its importance. The Admiral became a palace man and stopped participating personally in the naval wars, while the Castilian navy was transformed, replacing the royal galleys with private sailing ships, hired for each campaign.

Admirals of Castile

The following is a list of people who held this title:Francisco Xavier de Garma y Salcedo
''Theatro universal de España: descripción eclesiástica y secular de todos sus reynos y provincias''
vol. III, pág. 354 y ss.Pedro Salazar de Mendoza
''Origen de las dignidades seglares de Castilla y León''
cap. XV.

References

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Sources

Spanish Army
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