hometrafalgar

Discovering Cartagena

More Articles By Phillip Bruce www.raxomnium.com

Home Of A Hero Of Trafalgar

Down a small alley that runs between Calle Mayor and Calle Aire in Cartagena is the former home of one of Spain’s great naval heroes – Antonio De Escaño y Garcia-Garro de Caceras. This alley is near the big bookshop in Calle Mayor, on the opposite side to the Casino.

Cartagena ships and sailors, including De Escaño, played a very important part in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and the engagements leading up to it. However, when Spain broke away from its alliance with France in 1808 Escaño and Cartagena were very active in the War of Spanish independence.

The house, in Calle Medieras, is in a poor condition today, with the obligatory ugly electric cables snaking across the once-impressive front. Inside the large front door there is a grubby lobby which still retains, however, some reminders of the great days when this was the home of one of the most-important men in Spain. Today the building is used for offices. The decorative work on the ceiling and walls is worthy of note and there is an internal window with railings that allowed the occupants to inspect their visitors.

A plaque on the front of the house describes Escaño as a Hero of Trafalgar, a Lieutenant General of the Navy, Minister of Marine, Regent of the Indies, writer and distinguished man.

He was born in Cartagena, perhaps in this house, in 1752, and his father was a naval officer. As a boy he took a strong interest in science and technical subjects and he entered the navy in 1767.

During the first part of what the British know as the Peninsular War, when Spain was allied with France, Escaño took part in many significant actions, including the defence of Cadiz, and engagements at Espartel, San Vincent and Finisterre. Still very interested in technical subjects he paid particular attention to navigation and gathered a great deal of vital information.

He was wounded at Trafalgar but managed to withdraw nine Spanish ships to the safety of Cadiz. For this achievement he was promoted to Lieutenant General and when the Spanish squadron commander died of wounds Escaño took over command.

In the following years he worked hard to modernize and improve the navy and achieved important reforms in the Spanish admiralty before becoming Minister for Marine in 1807. He wrote extensively on naval tactics and amongst his works were a collection of naval ordinances and a naval dictionary.

When much of Spain revolted against the French in 1808 Escaño rejected tempting French offers to stay with them and sided with the nationalists. He served as Minister Marine in the junta that was set up to fight for independence. He worked very hard in a number of places and positions.

Politically, Escaño had liberal leanings. When the Spanish King Fernando VII returned to Madrid in 1814 after the defeat of the French, old absolutist ideas and conservatism were swiftly imposed. Escaño did not fit in with this new vision and he died in poverty in Cadiz two months after the imposition of absolutist rule.

However, this true hero of Spain is still very well remembered in Cartagena.

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