Ferdinand VI of Spain

"I have a report. The Spanish have located the Fountain of Youth. I will not have some melancholy Spanish Monarch&mdash;a Catholic&mdash;gain eternal life!"

- King George II

Ferdinand VI (Spanish: Fernando VI), sometimes referred to as the Learnt, was King of Spain during the 18th century. He was the third member of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty.

The Fountain of Youth
"The Fountain of Youth...How soon can you sail?" "With the tide."

- King Ferdinand and the Spaniard

Some time after his accession to the throne of Spain in 1746, King Ferdinand took residence in Cádiz, Spain.

In 1750, two fishermen arrived to Ferdinand's palace with an old sailor who claimed to have sailed with Ponce de León, a Spanish Conquistador who died two hundred years ago in search for the Fountain of Youth. After examining the logbook in the possession of the sailor, Ferdinand immediately sent his most trusted agent, The Spaniard, to find and destroy the Fountain. "What is this?" "Your Majesty. Caught him up in a fishing net. A fishing net." "Sire, he's been telling stories. Stories that he&mdash;" "We believe he's found&mdash;" [Ferdinand silenced the Captain and Fisherman for the Castaway] "...Ponce de León."

- Ferdinand, Captain and Fisherman, and the Castaway



A devoted Catholic, Ferdinand believed that only a soul should be immortal, not the human body. Realizing how great a damage could such discovery cause for the Catholic Church, he sent his most trusted agent, the Spaniard, to find the Fountain. Ferdinand gave the Spaniard three galleons and an army for the task.

Some time later, King George II would learn of the Spanish's discovery through his ministers and attempted to hire Captain Jack Sparrow to search for the Fountain on his behalf, which soon failed in the pirate's escape. But George II didn't realize that Ferdinand sent his men to destroy the Fountain, rather than to gain immortality. In the end, Ferdinand's plan was successful, and the Fountain was destroyed.

Behind the Scenes

 * Ferdinand VI was portrayed by Sebastian Armesto in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
 * Ferdinand VI and George II of Great Britain are the first historical monarchs that appear in POTC film series.
 * In the non-canonical LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, Ponce de León's logbook was stolen from the Spanish by Angelica, but not before Ferdinand took from it the map with the route to the Fountain.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game