Beschrijving
Etching and engraving of Sancho d'Ávila. Good condition. Some brown stains on the paper.
Sancho d'Avila (1523-1583) was a Spanish general who served under Emperor Charles V and later under the Duke of Alba during the Eighty Years' War. He is remembered for arresting the Count of Egmont in 1568, an event that helped trigger the Dutch Revolt. Although he suffered some early defeats, he won an important victory at the Battle of Mookerheyde in 1574 against the forces of William of Orange's brothers. In 1576, as commander of the Spanish garrison in Antwerp, he played a leading role in the Sack of Antwerp, one of the most infamous events of the war. He later helped secure Spanish control over Portugal in 1580 and died in Lisbon in 1583 after complications from a horse-related injury.
Unknown engraver.
