Ambrogio Spinola, 1st Marquis of the Balbases
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Don Ambrosio Spinola Marquis of the Balbases Duke of Sesto Order of the Golden Fleece Order of Santiago |
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Portrait of Ambrogio Spinola by Michiel van Mierevelt.
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| Governor of the Duchy of Milan | |
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In office 1629–1630 |
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| Monarch | Philip IV of Spain |
| Preceded by | Gonzalo Fernandez de Córdoba |
| Succeeded by | Álvaro de Bazán |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1569 Genoa, Republic of Genoa |
| Died | 25 September 1630 (aged 60–61) Castelnuovo Scrivia, Duchy of Mantua |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Spain
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| Rank | Captain-General |
| Commands | Captain-General of the Army of Flanders |
| Battles/wars | |
Don Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquis of the Balbases, Grandee of Spain, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and of the Order of Santiago, (Genoa, 1569 – Castelnuovo Scrivia, 25 September 1630) was a Genoese aristocrat who served as a Spanish general, winning a number of important battles for the Spanish Crown. He is often called "Ambrosio" by Spanish speaking people and is considered one of the greatest military commanders of his time and in the history of the Spanish army.
Ambrogio Spinola was born in Genoa, the eldest son of Filippo Spinola, Marquis of Sesto and Venafro, and his wife Polissena Grimaldi, daughter of Nicolò prince of Salerno. The family of Spinola was of great antiquity, wealth and power in Genoa. Don Ambrogio's sister Donna Lelia was married to Don Giulio Cesare Squarciafico, 2nd Marquess of Galatone, from whom descend the Princes of Belmonte.
In the 16th century the Italian Republic of Genoa was in practical terms a protected state of the Spanish Empire; the Genoese were the bankers of the Spanish monarchy and had control of its finances. Several of the younger brothers of Ambrogio Spinola sought their fortune in Spain, and one of them, Federico, distinguished himself greatly as a soldier in the Army of Flanders. The eldest brother Ambrogio remained at home to marry and continue the family. In 1592 he was married to Giovanna Bacciadonne, daughter of the count of Galerata.
They had three children:
The houses of Spinola and Doria were rivals for authority within the republic. Ambrogio Spinola continued the rivalry with the count of Tursi, then the chief of the Dorias. He was not successful, and having lost a lawsuit into which he had entered to enforce a right of pre-emption of a palace belonging to the Salerno family which the Doria wished to purchase, he decided to withdraw from the city and advance the fortunes of his house by serving the Spanish monarchy in Flanders. In 1602 he and his brother Federico entered into a contract with the Spanish government—a condotta on the old Italian model. It was a speculation on which Spinola risked the whole of the great fortune of his house. Ambrogio Spinola undertook to raise 9.000 Lombard mercenaries for land service, and Federico to form a squadron of galleys for service on the coast.
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Wikipedia