The Italian States of the Great Captain
The Italian states of “El Gran Capitán” were strategically located close to the borders of the Neapolitan kingdom. The duchy of Terranova was located across southern Italy, from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Ionian Sea in lower Calabria, a crucial location to control any Turkish incursion into its waters.
Up north, along the papal border, the Duchy of Sessa guarded the flank most exposed to French invasion. To the east, in the center of the Adriatic, the Duchy of Santangelo dominated the entrance to the Venetian navy. Other cities and castles under the jurisdiction of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba contributed to this territorial control, a power to which he added the position of Condestable Mayor of the kingdom of Naples.
The Duke of Terranova, Sessa and Santangelo also handled himself well in the courtly scenarios. He knew the complex Italian political relations, the diplomatic intrigues and the labyrinth of interests created by the nobility and the Papal States. The political dimension of “El Gran Capitán” has been scarcely studied, however, it acquires a special relevance in the historical moment in which the insertion of the kingdom of Naples in the Spanish crown takes place.
The Great Captain held in Italy the titles of:
– Duke of Sessa, of Terranova, of Santangelo, of Andria and of Torremayor.
– Prince of Jaffa, Squilache and Venosa.
– Marquis of Bitonto. Baron of San Giorgio, Beste, Vico, Teano and Joyar.
– Lord of villas and castles.
– Viceroy and Grand Constable of Naples.
