Person

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba

1453–1515 · 15th century · Also known as El Gran Capitán, the Great Captain

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, known as the Great Captain, was a Castilian general who fought in the conquest of Granada and then commanded Spanish armies in Italy. Combining pikemen, arquebusiers and fortified positions, he defeated the French at Cerignola and the Garigliano in 1503, winning the Kingdom of Naples for Ferdinand II of Aragon, and served as its viceroy until 1507. His methods shaped the later Spanish infantry.

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Image: Eduardo Carrió · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 4 profiles

Spanish EmpireMilitaryCrown of AragonMilitaryCrown of CastileMilitaryKingdom of NaplesMilitary

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gonzalo-fernandez-de-cordoba
MLA
“Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gonzalo-fernandez-de-cordoba. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gonzalo-fernandez-de-cordoba.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gonzalo-fernandez-de-cordoba (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻