Francisco José de Ovando, 1st Marquis of Brindisi
Encyclopedia
Francisco José de Ovando y Solís Rol de La Cerda, 1st Marquis of Brindisi
(c. 1693 – December 9, 1755) was a Spanish
soldier who served as governor of Chile
.
in Extremadura
. In 1710, at the age of seventeen, he joined the Spanish Army
as a cadet, and in 1717 he transferred to the naval infantry, as a member of which he participated in the capture of Sicily
in July 1718, during the War of the Quadruple Alliance
.
After a period of several years in which he returned to administrative work within the Spanish Army, he returned to the navy in 1728 as a lieutenant in charge of the frigate
Génova. Two years later, he was commissioned to study naval construction at Cádiz
. In 1731, he was given the command of the frigate Guipúzcoa, which as part of the fleet under Admiral Cornejo, took part in the attack to Livorno
.
during the War of the Polish Succession
. In 1734 he was sent to capture the castle of Brindisi
near Tarento. In that opportunity, he personally landed and lead a force composed of 200 men from his ship and 100 naval infants to capture the fortress. After the battle he sailed back to Naples, where he was personally congratulated by the Infante Don Carlos
for his outstanding valor and performance in battle, and was rewarded with the title of Marquis of Brindisi (in most literature he appears credited as Marquis of Ovando, which is simply a corruption of his title and his last name), was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was given the command of the Man-of-war El León, of seventy cannons.
In 1736, Ovando took command of the frigate San Cayetano, which he sailed to Veracruz
to join the Windward Fleet , and was sent to the Antilles
to root out smugglers and European traders, mainly British and Dutch, who were violating the monopoly of the Spanish Main
. In 1740 he participated, with his ship Dragón, in the defense of Cartagena de Indias
from the British attack of Admiral Vernon
.
The Spanish Prime Minister Marquis of Ensenada
promoted Ovando in 1743 to Fleet Commander, charging him with the inspection of all the fortresses, harbors and arsenals in the Viceroyalty of Peru
as inspector and commander-in-chief of the Southern Seas' Fleet (3).
.
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
(c. 1693 – December 9, 1755) was a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
soldier who served as governor of Chile
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
.
Early life
Francisco José de Ovando was born in the city of CaceresCáceres, Spain
Cáceres is the capital of the same name province, in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. , its population was 91,131 inhabitants. The municipio has a land area of 1,750.33 km², and is the largest in geographical extension in Spain....
in Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
. In 1710, at the age of seventeen, he joined the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
as a cadet, and in 1717 he transferred to the naval infantry, as a member of which he participated in the capture of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in July 1718, during the War of the Quadruple Alliance
War of the Quadruple Alliance
The War of the Quadruple Alliance was a result of the ambitions of King Philip V of Spain, his wife, Elisabeth Farnese, and his chief minister Giulio Alberoni to retake territories in Italy and to claim the French throne. It saw the defeat of Spain by an alliance of Britain, France, Austria , and...
.
After a period of several years in which he returned to administrative work within the Spanish Army, he returned to the navy in 1728 as a lieutenant in charge of the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Génova. Two years later, he was commissioned to study naval construction 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....
. In 1731, he was given the command of the frigate Guipúzcoa, which as part of the fleet under Admiral Cornejo, took part in the attack to Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
.
Capture of Brindisi
He was promoted to Captain in 1733 and took command of the frigate Galga, which as part of the fleet of the Marquis of Clavijo captured NaplesNaples
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...
during the War of the Polish Succession
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession was a major European war for princes' possessions sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II, King of Poland that other European powers widened in pursuit of their own national interests...
. In 1734 he was sent to capture the castle of Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
near Tarento. In that opportunity, he personally landed and lead a force composed of 200 men from his ship and 100 naval infants to capture the fortress. After the battle he sailed back to Naples, where he was personally congratulated by the Infante Don Carlos
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
for his outstanding valor and performance in battle, and was rewarded with the title of Marquis of Brindisi (in most literature he appears credited as Marquis of Ovando, which is simply a corruption of his title and his last name), was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was given the command of the Man-of-war El León, of seventy cannons.
In 1736, Ovando took command of the frigate San Cayetano, which he sailed to Veracruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
to join the Windward Fleet , and was sent to the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
to root out smugglers and European traders, mainly British and Dutch, who were violating the monopoly of the Spanish Main
Spanish Main
In the days of the Spanish New World Empire, the mainland of the American continent enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico was referred to as the Spanish Main. It included present-day Florida, the east shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Mexico, Central America and the north coast of...
. In 1740 he participated, with his ship Dragón, in the defense of Cartagena de Indias
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias was an amphibious military engagement between the forces of Britain under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and those of Spain under Admiral Blas de Lezo. It took place at the city of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741, in present-day Colombia...
from the British attack of Admiral Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
.
The Spanish Prime Minister Marquis of Ensenada
Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea, Marquis of Ensenada
Don Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea , widely known as the Marquis of the Ensenada, was a Spanish statesman.-Early life:...
promoted Ovando in 1743 to Fleet Commander, charging him with the inspection of all the fortresses, harbors and arsenals in the Viceroyalty of Peru
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
as inspector and commander-in-chief of the Southern Seas' Fleet (3).
As Governor of Chile
Francisco José de Ovando was appointed interim Governor of Chile by his predecessor José Antonio Manso de Velasco, who had been promoted to Viceroy of Peru and whom he had travelled to Valparaíso to escort back to Peru. He took over his position on July 28, 1745 and remained there until March 26 of the following year, when his successor, Domingo Ortíz de Rosas, arrived. He immediately returned to his fleet command on board of the ship San Fermín and departed to chart the Juan Fernández IslandsJuan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first...
.
As Governor-General of the Philippines
Other notable acts undertaken during his government were the creation, on March 11, 1747, of the first University in the colonial territory of Chile: the Royal University of San Felipe (Real Universidad de San Felipe), of which the first rector was Tomás de Azúa e Iturgoyen. http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:1Uty95cmCZQJ:www.historia.uchile.cl/CDA/fh_crono2/+Real+Universidad+de+San+Felipe&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=10&client=safari This university would eventually become today's Universidad de Chile. He also established the penal colony on.See also
- War of the Quadruple AllianceWar of the Quadruple AllianceThe War of the Quadruple Alliance was a result of the ambitions of King Philip V of Spain, his wife, Elisabeth Farnese, and his chief minister Giulio Alberoni to retake territories in Italy and to claim the French throne. It saw the defeat of Spain by an alliance of Britain, France, Austria , and...
- War of the Polish SuccessionWar of the Polish SuccessionThe War of the Polish Succession was a major European war for princes' possessions sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II, King of Poland that other European powers widened in pursuit of their own national interests...
- Seven Years' WarSeven Years' WarThe Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
- War of Jenkins' EarWar of Jenkins' EarThe War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
- Blas de LezoBlas de LezoBlas de Lezo y Olavarrieta , also known as "Patapalo" , and later as "Mediohombre" for the many wounds suffered in his long military life, was a Spanish admiral, and one of the greatest strategists and commanders in the history of the Spanish Navy...
- Battle of Cartagena de IndiasBattle of Cartagena de IndiasThe Battle of Cartagena de Indias was an amphibious military engagement between the forces of Britain under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and those of Spain under Admiral Blas de Lezo. It took place at the city of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741, in present-day Colombia...
- Spanish ship Santísima Trinidad (1751)