- "And I hear the weather is lovely in Spain."
- ―Jack Sparrow
The Kingdom of Spain was the European country that was in charge of the Spanish Royal Navy. Spain also owned many colonies on the North American mainland. Its capital city was Madrid.
History[]
- "I've concluded that we must take action regarding these rogue pirates. If these blackguards continue to plunder and menace merchant shipping, it won't be long before England, France, Spain and probably Portugal will dispatch their navies to hunt down all pirate ships they find."
- ―Edward Teague to assembled pirates at Shipwreck Cove
In the era of exploration, discovery, and colonization, Spain amassed tremendous wealth and a vast colonial empire through the conquest of Mexico by Hernán Cortés[1] (1519–1521), and Peru by Francisco Pizarro[2] (1532–1533). It also achieved an age of great discovery by Juan Ponce de León who discovered Florida and a tropical island during his search for the Fountain of Youth.[3]
The Spanish Habsburg monarchy became for a time the most powerful in the world. Portugal and the Kingdoms of Spain were united to create a single Spanish state in 1580 when King Philip II took the Portuguese throne. In 1588, Philip sent his invincible Armada to invade England, but its destruction cost Spain its supremacy on the seas and paved the way for England's colonization of America. Spain then sank rapidly to the status of a second-rate power under the rule of weak Hapsburg kings, and it never again played a major role in European politics. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) Spain allied itself with France, but the war resulted in Spain's loss of Belgium, Luxembourg, Milan, Sardinia, Naples, and Gibraltar. Some time after his accession to the throne of Spain in 1746, King Ferdinand VI made Cádiz his residence.
Quest for the Fountain of Youth[]
- "I have a report. The Spanish have located the Fountain of Youth. I will not have some melancholy Spanish Monarch—a Catholic—gain eternal life!"
- ―King George II
In 1750, a Spanish captain and fisherman, found an ancient sailor caught in a fishing net off the coast of Spain.[4] A gold-trimmed carriage raced from a harbor in Cádiz as it arrived to the royal palace, where the captain and fisherman present to King Ferdinand the sailor, who claimed to have found Ponce de León's ship. After examining an old logbook, Ferdinand realized that the legends of Ponce de León's search for the Fountain of Youth were true. Ferdinand immediately sent his most trusted agent, known only as "The Spaniard", to find the Fountain.[3]
Spanish colonies[]
- Isla De La Avaracia
- Jamaica (from 1509 to 1655)
- Cuba
- Florida
- Hispaniola
- Mexico
- Padres Del Fuego
- Cutthroat Isle
- Peru
- Isla Muelle
- Panama
- South America
- Isla Tesoro
- Yucatán Peninsula
Behind the scenes[]
- For filming On Stranger Tides, a scene of a carriage arriving to the royal palace in Cádiz was filmed at Castillo San Cristobal in Old San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.[5] Castillo San Cristobal was one of the two great fortifications built by Spain to guard San Juan from land attack. Construction began in 1634 and was completed in 1783, making it absolutely period-correct for the film's mid-eighteenth-century setting.[6]
- Spain is the first European country to appear in the POTC film series, England being the second.
- In all POTC products, a modern Spanish flag is displayed on the Spanish ships, islands, and forts, instead of the one from the early 18th century. This is most likely a mistake made by the developers, since the flag used was not flown by Spain until 1770, almost twenty years after the events of the POTC films.
- Penélope Cruz (Angelica), Astrid Bergès-Frisbey (Syrena), Óscar Jaenada (The Spaniard), Juan Carlos Vellido (Spanish Captain, Lieutenant Lesaro), and Javier Bardem (Armando Salazar) were born in Spain.
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean (video game) (First mentioned)
- Jack Sparrow: Dance of the Hours (Mentioned only)
- Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean (Mentioned only)
- Legends of the Brethren Court: The Turning Tide (Mentioned only)
- Legends of the Brethren Court: Wild Waters (Mentioned only)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (video game) (Mentioned only)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow (Mentioned only)
- Pirates of the Caribbean Online (Mentioned only)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (On a map)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (On a map)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (First appearance)
- LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)
Sources[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide
- The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
External links[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- ↑ The Price of Freedom
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide p. 12-13 "The Spanish"
- ↑ Puerto Rico Daily Sun
- ↑ The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
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