Fernández De Córdoba, Gonzalo

(gōnthä´lō fārnän´dāth dā kōr´dōbä), 1453–1515, Spanish general, called the Great Captain. He fought in the civil wars preceding and following the accession of Isabella I and in the conquest of Granada. He commanded (1495–98) the army aiding Naples against Charles VIII of France. After expeditions against the rebellious Moriscos of Granada and the Turks, he returned to Italy as an ally of Louis XII of France, who had joined with Ferdinand II of Aragón to partition Naples (see Italian Wars). When Naples had been conquered, he expelled (1502–4) the French and served as governor until 1507. He greatly improved the Spanish infantry by specializing the use of weapons.

See biography by M. Purcell (1962).