1. Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquess of Los Balbases and 1st Duke of Sesto was an Italian condottiero and nobleman of the Republic of Genoa, who served as a Spanish general and won a number of important battles.
18 Facts About Ambrogio Spinola
1. 2.
Ambrogio Spinola is often called "Ambrosio" by Spanish-speaking people and is considered one of the greatest military commanders of his time and in the history of the Spanish army.
3.
The family of Spinola was of great antiquity, wealth and power in Genoa.
4.
Several of the younger brothers of Ambrogio Spinola sought their fortune in Spain, and one of them, Federico, distinguished himself greatly as a soldier in the Army of Flanders.
5.
Ambrogio Spinola continued the rivalry with the count of Tursi, then the chief of the Dorias.
6.
Ambrogio Spinola was not successful, and having lost a lawsuit into which he had entered to enforce a right of pre-emption of a palace belonging to the Salerno family which the Doria wished to purchase, he decided to withdraw from the city and advance the fortunes of his house by serving the Spanish monarchy in Flanders.
7.
Ambrogio Spinola undertook to raise 9,000 Lombard mercenaries for land service, and Federico to form a squadron of galley ships for service on the coast.
8.
At this period, the wars of the Low Countries consisted almost entirely of sieges, and Ambrogio Spinola made himself famous by the number of places he took in spite of the efforts of Maurice of Nassau to defend them, including heavily fortified Groenlo.
9.
Ambrogio Spinola was received with much outward honour, and entrusted with a very secret mission to secure the government of Flanders in case of the death of the Archduke or his wife.
10.
Ambrogio Spinola was never repaid, resulting in his complete financial ruin.
11.
Ambrogio Spinola famously argued, El valor del vencido es la gloria del vencedor.
12.
Olivares ultimately caused Ambrogio Spinola to be deprived of his powers as plenipotentiary.
13.
Ambrogio Spinola's health broke down, as he was already 61 years old, with over 30 years' experience on the battlefield.
14.
Ambrogio Spinola would be painted however after his death, by Diego Velazquez, in 1635, as ordered by Felipe IV, in The Surrender of Breda.
15.
Ambrogio Spinola was a brilliant field commander, whose daring in battle often was used to outflank his opponents and catch them off guard.
16.
Ambrogio Spinola was not a great technical innovator but was a master of military skills.
17.
Ambrogio Spinola used rapid movement and pell-mell actions in his battles.
18.
Ambrogio Spinola was skilled at picking out an enemy's weakest spot and applying force there to achieve victory.