A new mission for Gran Capitán five centuries after his death

Gran Capitán commemorative stamp (Photo: Iván Jiménez/DECET)

The dignitaries using the postmark (Photo: Iván Jiménez/DECET)

The Chief of the Army Staff during his speech (Photo: Iván Jiménez/DECET)

Don Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, known as Gran Capitán (Great Captain), has been entrusted with a new mission five hundred years after his death. The Chief of the Army Staff, Army General Domínguez Buj, presided over the presentation of a stamp to mark the anniversary at the Palacio de Buenavista on 9 February. That great soldier will now be the image of the Spanish army abroad.

“The State Philatelic Commission has issued twelve stamps dedicated to the Spanish Armed Forces over the last four years; 57 in total throughout its history,” pointed out the president of the General Post Office, Javier Cuesta. With this new stamp, the Post Office is honouring Gran Capitán as a key figure during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, and as a military pioneer. According to Cuesta, there are around 20 million stamp collectors around the world and, therefore, Gran Capitán “will disseminate the image of the Spanish Army far and wide.”

The assistant director of Postal Services within the Ministry of Development, Rafael Crespo, explained why it was decided to devote a stamp to Gran Capitán: “He was an exemplary soldier who revolutionised military strategy, and his military values left a lasting impression on the Spanish Armed Forces.” In addition, he added that Gran Capitán is not just part of the Spanish heritage, but also of world heritage by virtue of his influence in the Court of King Louis XIV of France and in European literature since the 16th century.”

For his part, the Chief of the Army Staff emphasised the topical character of Gran Capitán in the Army: “The Melilla Regiment, 1st of the Legion, the Spanish base in Iraq and the five-yearly award the Army bestows upon soldiers with a distinguished record are all named after him.” All of which shows the lasting importance of this historic figure for the Army, and Army General Domínguez Buj expressed his “heartfelt gratitude” to the State Philatelic Commission for this initiative.

In addition, the Chief of the Army Staff stressed that the stamp brings together tradition and modernity: “It shows Gran Capitán and the soldiers who are defending the interests of Spain abroad today, as he did in his time.” That is yet another reason to acknowledge the initiative, “because we are proud of our soldiers and this stamp is a great opportunity to raise awareness about their role.” Himself a stamp collector since the age of fifteen, the Chief of the Army Staff admitted: “In that stamp I see my homeland, my soldiers and my own stamps.” After he pronounced these words, he used the postmark together with other dignitaries attending in the ceremony and with several of Gran Capitán’s direct descendants.

The stamp itself shows the bust of Gran Capitán alongside present-day Infantry soldiers during a military exercise. Its face value is €1.30 and it is produced using the offset four colour printing process. 220,000 copies have been issued, with 25 stamps per sheet.