Alonso de Contreras facts for kids
Alonso de Contreras (born in Madrid, Spain, on January 6, 1582 – died in 1641) was an amazing Spanish adventurer. He was a brave sailor, a skilled soldier, a privateer (a kind of legal pirate!), and a talented writer. He is most famous for his autobiography, which tells the story of his exciting life. It's one of the best true stories from Spanish soldiers during the time of the Habsburg kings, similar to the famous book True History of the Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo.
Contents
Alonso de Contreras's Life Story
Early Adventures and Travels
Alonso de Contreras was born into a very poor family. When he was about 15 years old, he joined the army, using his mother's family name, Contreras. He traveled to Flanders, a region in Europe, but soon left the army there.
He then went to Malta, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. For the next six years, he worked on privateering ships for the Order of Malta. These ships would capture enemy vessels. During this time, Alonso faced many dangers, fights, and exciting adventures. He learned how to navigate ships by watching the pilots. Soon, he was even given command of his own ships!
Alonso knew the eastern Mediterranean Sea very well. He used this knowledge to write a special book called sailing directions, which was like a guide for sailors for the entire Mediterranean. The original handwritten copy of this book, along with his autobiography, is kept today at the Spanish National Library in Madrid.
Return to Spain and New Roles
After six years, Alonso returned to Castile in Spain. He applied for a new job in the army and became an ensign, which is a junior officer. He visited his mother and then began recruiting his own soldiers, as was common back then.
Alonso continued his adventurous and active military career. He traveled to many parts of Europe and rose through the ranks to become an infantry captain. He also became a very skilled sailor, sailing all over the Mediterranean Sea and having many more adventures. He even sailed to the West Indies, where he encountered and fought ships belonging to the famous English explorer, Sir Walter Raleigh.
For a time, Alonso de Contreras was even the governor of a small city in Italy. He was present during the huge eruption of the Vesuvius volcano in 1631 and helped to save some lives. He became friends with the famous Spanish poet Lope de Vega. Lope de Vega probably heard Alonso's amazing stories and encouraged him to write his autobiography, so we could all read about his incredible life!
See also
In Spanish: Alonso de Contreras para niños
