Una nueva pieza de artilleria de galeras del siglo XVI: el esmeril bastardo "matacapitanes"

Abstract

This work is aimed at the analysis of an unknown piece of maritime artillery dated at the second half of the XVIth century. This piece, out of any inventory record, was located within one of the Archive-Museum chambers in the Don Alvaro Bazan Palace at El Viso del Marques, Ciudad Real province, central Spain. The specimen is a bastard esmeril here so-called «matacapitanes» («killer of captains») because it seems precisely designed to be used against the bullet-proof armour of enemy officers. By means of manuscripts and impressed documents, an approach and discussion on the typology and classification of the XVIth century´s maritime artillery is also presented.