Francisco Díaz Pimienta
| Francisco Díaz Pimienta | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1594 Tazacorte, Canary Islands |
| Died | 1652 |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Admiral |
| Known for | Capture of Isla de Providencia (Santa Catalina) |
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Francisco Díaz Pimienta (1594–1652) was a Spanish naval officer who became Captain general of the Ocean Fleet.
Díaz Pimienta's father was also Francisco Díaz Pimienta, a member of the nobility who was born on La Palma in the Canary Islands. His father distinguished himself in the battle of Lepanto and was favored by king Philip II of Spain. Díaz Pimienta was born in 1594 in Tazacorte, an illegitimate child, and was raised by his aunt and uncle in Garachico, Tenerife. He went to Seville for academic studies, following his father's wish for him to enter the church. He was an excellent pupil, at the age of 14 being able to translate the works of Livy and Quintus Curtius with ease, but he was inspired by his father's example and wanted to go to sea. When his father died in 1610, Díaz Pimienta left school and joined the navy, serving on the galleons of the Indies.
One of Díaz Pimienta's sisters married a Canary merchant, Alonso Ferrera, who was connected to the shipbuilding industry, and this connection was to provide a great fortune. In 1625 he contracted with the Crown to construct two vessels, which were completed promptly after the victory of Piet Pieterszoon Hein in Cuban waters. Díaz Pimienta was appointed superintendent of the shipbuilding factories in the port of San Cristóbal de la Habana. From that moment his career began a steady ascent. In 1635, now an Admiral, Díaz Pimienta signed a new contract. Under the pretext of transporting materials to the shipyards, he was able to openly participate in trade between the Havana and Seville. In 1637 he was governor of the island of Minorca.
In 1638 Pimienta was vice-admiral in a Spanish-Portuguese fleet commanded by the Count of Torre, Dom Fernando de Mascarenhas, directed against the Dutch base at Pernambuco in Brazil. The fleet was affected by an epidemic at Cape Verde. After arriving with his weakened force at Salvador da Bahia, Mascarenhas delayed for about a year before sailing on Pernambuco with the intent of landing troops to take the town. Before disembarkation could start, on 12 January 1640 a Dutch fleet of 36 ships under Admiral Willem Corneliszoon Loos emerged from Recife and intercepted the Spanish-Portuguese fleet between Itamaracá and Goiana. The resulting five-day action of 12–17 January 1640 was indecisive. Both fleets were damaged and suffered casualties, but the effect was to prevent the Spanish-Portuguese landings.
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