Miquel de Prades ( Balaguer ?, 1462? [1] [2] - Belvedere Marittimo coast 1505), known by the name of Miquelot de Prades, was a Catalan soldier famous for his skill with the sword and various military deeds. There is no certain evidence that confirms whether three documented facts (about a fencer, about a murderer and about a soldier who died at sea) can be attributed to the same person.
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Documented facts
editAssassination of Joan Borja in Rome
editThe historian Jerónimo Zurita explains the assassination of Giovanni Borgia, son of Alexander VI in Rome, in the year 1497. The death was attributed to Michalot de Prats, who was at the service of the victim.[3]
Famous fencer in Italy and Montserrat
editGonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, in his work Las Quinquagenas de la nobility de España, [4] spoke of a Catalan soldier (Michalot de Pradas) who roamed Italy, winning all the duels with a sure thrust to the opponent's neck. Repentant of his life, that soldier went to take refuge in the monastery of Montserrat. One bad day an Italian soldier with two swords showed up and challenged Miquelot (saying that he wanted to see the secret thrust, claiming that he would know how to counter it). Miquelot flatly refused to fight but the other's insistence forced him to do so. The Italian ended up dead, with a thrust to the neck. There was probably no better way to teach him. Repentant of the new death, he went to Rome to ask for forgiveness. The pope incorporated him into his troops. [5]
- There is no document that indicates the type of sword used by Miquelot and his opponents. It could be either a broadsword (rigid and heavy) or a flexible and relatively light sword.
Soldier at the service of the Pontiff
editThere is a Michalot de Prats who with an armed caravel in Naples chased and made some corsairs flee near Belvedere Marittimo (a priori, without any relationship, with the previous events). Michalot's ship, some ships that accompanied him and the captured privateers suffered a sudden storm and sank (year 1505). All the crew were drowned. [6]
References
edit- ^ Indice de las cosas mas notables que se hallan en las quatro partes de los Annales y las dos de Geronimo Çurita ... por Alonso Rodriguez. 1604. p. 634–.
- ^ Zurita, Jerónimo (1670). Los cinco libros postreros de la historia del rey Don Hernando el catholico: De las empresas, y ligas de Italla. por Diego Dormer, Impressor de dicha Ciudad, y del Hospital R.y G. de N.S. de Gracia. p. 151.
- ^ Zurita, Jerónimo (1610). Anales de la corona de Aragon. Por Lorenço de Robles... A costa de los Administradores del General. p. 123.
- ^ Las quinquagenas de la nobleza de España. Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés.1880. Real Academia de la Historia de Madrid .
- ^ Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de (1835). El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Impr. Real. p. 364.
- ^ Mariana, Juan de (1852). Historia general de España: la compuesta, enmendada y añadida. Gaspar y Roig. p. 202.