Almirante Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (1689-1741), un heroe de la Vieja España caballeresca

Retrato de Blas de Lezo, Museo Naval de Madrid.

Admiral Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (3 February 1689 – 7 September 1741) was a Spanish navy officer best remembered for the Battle of Cartagena de Indias (1741) in modern-day Colombia, where Spanish imperial forces under his command decisively defeated a large British invasion fleet under Admiral Edward Vernon.

Throughout his naval career, Lezo sustained many severe wounds; he lost his left eye, left hand, complete mobility of the right arm, caught typhoid fever and had his left leg amputated in situ after being hit by the projectile of a cannon.^[1] He was known as Captain Pegleg and Half-man. There is ample documented evidence in medical records of the wounds he sustained. He perceived his wounds and physical limitations as medals, he refused to wear an eye patch to hide his blind eye. Wearing his past battles history on his flesh won the respect of his peers and soldiers .

Lezo's actions at Cartagena de Indias consolidated his legacy as one of the most heroic figures in the history of Spain and he has thus been promoted as one of the greatest strategists in naval history.

Source et suite de l'article sur Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blas_de_Lezo

Blas de Lezo, amputé d'une jambe à l'âge de quinze ans, sur place, lors d'une bataille navale, est l'un des derniers héros de la Vieille Espagne chevaleresque qui avait commencé sa décadence sous Philippe IV d'Espagne, lorsque avec le gouvernement de Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel Riberay Velasco de Tovar, comte d'Olivares, les charges nobiliaires, militaires et de gouvernements firent l'objet d'un immense trafic.

Ce sont de véritables personnages historiques comme lui dont nous devons conserver la mémoire et que nous devons admirer et donner à admirer à nos enfants, non pas des personnages de roman caricaturaux comme Don Quichotte, que Cervantes a eu certainement ses raisons d'inventer.

Blas de Lezo coat of arms: Coronet of a Marquess (posthumously bestowed) Escutcheon Quartered shield: first and fourth, gules, a star or; Second and third, or, a wolf sable Orders The Order of the Holy Spirit collar The Order of the Golden Fleece collar. Source: Wikipedia