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Philip II's Patronage of Science and Engineering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2009

David Goodman
Affiliation:
History of Science Group, Faculty of Arts, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA

Extract

Philip II a patron of the sciences? This aspect of his turbulent reign, like many others, bas brought conflicting assessments. He bas been praised for his enterprise and blamed for isolating Spain from the scientific revolution. More information has now become available as a resuit of research on related themes, and it seems opportune to reconsider Philip's relations with the sciences. This has not attracted much attention outside of Spain because of the general neglect of the history of Spanish science. Yet Spain was no intellectual backwater—it had a rich scientific culture which was still alive in the sixteenth century. And the question of Philip's patronage is important since Castile had become the heart of the most powerful empire in the West at a time when Europe was experiencing a new phase of the Reformation and the beginnings of scientific revolution.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society for the History of Science 1983

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References

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23 If we accept the complaints made by procuradores, this regulation was not being adhered to: universities and protomédicos were not insisting on the full period of two years; Actas de las Cartes (Certes of 1576), additional vol. 5, pp. 580582.Google Scholar

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38 In addition to those mentioned the following Italian engineers entered Philip II's service: Giovanni-Baptista Calvi, brought from Milan by Charles V, continued in Philip II's reign to erect fortifications in the peninsula at Cadiz, in Catalonia, and in the Balearic Islands; Francesco Paciotto designed the citadel of Antwerp, advised on fortresses in Naples and Tunis, and fortified Coruña; Fabio Borsoto came to Spain in 1585 to construct the port of Malaga, and later worked at Gibraltar and Denia; Giovanni Siltoni of Milan and Ambrosio Mariano both carried out irrigation work for Philip in Castile; Constantino Evangelista supervised the construction of the fort at Melilla in 1576; Gerolamo de Marchi built towers for coastal defence at Barcelona in 1598; Francesco de Marchi carried out engineering work and wrote a treatise on siege warfare and fortification for Philip, who ordered it to be kept secret; Giorgio Setara came from Milan in 1565 to work on the citadel at Perpignan; Gerolamo de Soto constructed fortifications within the peninsula; Tiburzio Spanochi of Siena designed forts in the kingdom of Naples and then came to Spain where he fortified Pamplona, repaired castles in Aragon, installed defences in the ports of Guipúzcoa, planned fortifications for Cartagena in the Indies, and assisted in Philip's military conquest of Portugal. A team of Italian engineers participated in the Portuguese expedition, including Ascanio Vitozzi, Ugo da Cesana, Pietro Velasco and Filippo Terzi. For details of the work of some of these and illustrations of their plans see Maggiorotti, L. A., Architetti e Archtitetture Militari, vol. 3: Gli architetti militari italiani nella Spagna, nel Portogallo e nello loro colonie (Rome, 1939)Google Scholar and Llaguno y Amirola (op. cit.).

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47 Ibid., vol. 3, pp. 215–219.

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49 When the Portuguese rebellion broke oui in 1640 there were further attempts to make the Tagus navigable. Again the engineers appointed were Italian: Luigi Carducci of Urbino, assisted by Giulio Martelli. The project was not carried out.

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65 Same to the same, March 1573, Miura, Benítez (op. cit.) p. 400.Google Scholar

66 Same to the same, March 1574; Medina, Toribio (op. cit.), vol. 2, pp. 279–80.Google Scholar

67 When Philip had received no results after four years he asked the Viceroy to order Hernández to send them with the next fleet; quoted by Miura, Benítez (op. cit.) p. 367.Google Scholar

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69 Same to the same, 24 March 1576; Miura, Benítez (op. cit.), p. 372.Google Scholar

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