Tenth siege of Gibraltar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tenth siege of Gibraltar |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Duke of Medina Sidonia |
 Kingdom of Castile |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Juan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, 3rd Duke of Medina Sidonia | Garcilaso de la Vega, for Joanna of Castile | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Minimal | Minimal | ||||||
The tenth siege of Gibraltar in 1506 was a small military event. During this time, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, named Juan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, tried to take back the fortress of Gibraltar. However, he failed. The fortress was held by soldiers loyal to the newly joined kingdoms of Castile and Aragon.
Why it Happened
In 1469, King Henry IV of Castile gave Gibraltar to Enrique de Guzmán, 2nd Duke of Medina Sidonia. This was a reward for his family's hard work. They had helped capture Gibraltar from the Moors and then settled people there.
Later, in 1478, King Henry IV's successors, Ferdinand and Isabella, gave the Duke the special title of Marquess of Gibraltar.
However, in 1501, a royal order was given. It said that Garcilaso de la Vega should take Gibraltar for the King. He went to Gibraltar and officially took control in early 1502. Ferdinand and Isabella also gave Gibraltar its own coat of arms. It showed a castle with a golden key. The key meant that the castle was important for defending Spain.
After Queen Isabella died in 1504, the kingdom became unstable. Her daughter, Juana, who was not well, became queen. Her husband was Philip. Ferdinand was supposed to rule Castile until Juana's son, Charles, grew up. Philip disagreed with Ferdinand being in charge, but he died in 1506.
A group of nobles then took control because Juana could not. Ferdinand later returned and took charge again in 1507. During this time of confusion in 1506, Juan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán decided to try and take Gibraltar back by force. He believed it belonged to his family.
The Siege Itself
The Duke of Medina was in Seville. He told his son, Enrique, to get the fortress back. The Duke thought Gibraltar was his family's rightful property. He also expected his friends inside the fortress to surrender easily.
But that did not happen. News of the Duke's plan quickly reached the people of Gibraltar. Everyone there joined forces to defend the place. They also asked for help from the Captain-General of Granada, Íñigo López de Mendoza. It was important that they asked a King's officer for help, not another noble. This showed how power was changing.
The "siege" lasted for four months. The Duke's forces tried to block off the fortress instead of attacking it directly. There was very little fighting. No one died from battles, only from illness. The Duke eventually gave up hope of winning. He listened to the Archbishop of Seville and pulled his forces back. He even paid money to the people who had suffered because of his army. Of all the times Gibraltar was attacked, this was the only one that ended without bloodshed.
What Happened Next
Juan de Guzmán still insisted that Gibraltar was his. He claimed that King Philip I had given it back to him. In June 1507, he went back to his city of Seville. He had left Seville to avoid a plague. He was determined to try another siege.
However, before he could act, he died on July 10, 1507. He was forty years old.
Ferdinand died in 1516. His grandson, Charles (Juana's son), became the new ruler. In 1519, Charles also became the Holy Roman Emperor. He understood how important Gibraltar was for defense. So, in 1520, he made Rodrigo Bazan the civil and military commander of Gibraltar.
Under Bazan's long and peaceful rule, which lasted until 1535, the local troubles ended. Buildings were fixed, and new ones were built. However, the defenses were not kept up, especially those to the south. The next danger to Gibraltar came from that direction. In 1540, a captain of the Turkish pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa launched a strong attack.
See also
In Spanish: Sitio de Gibraltar (1506) para niños
