Federigo Giambelli
Federigo Giambelli , also Federigo Gianibelli (* before 1584 in Mantua , † after 1585 probably in London ) was an Italian war architect at the end of the 16th century.
Giambelli served as a war builder in Italy and later offered his services to King Philip II of Spain . When his professional expectations were disappointed, he settled in Antwerp as a physicist and mechanic .
When Alessandro Farnese , who later became Duke of Parma, began the siege of Antwerp in 1584 , Giambelli's plan to supply the city was rejected. His attempts to blow up the bridge over the Scheldt , built by the Duke of Parma in 1585 , only partially achieved their purpose, as only one of the ships equipped with a hell machine reached the bridge in the night of April 4th and 5th and partially destroyed it. The moral effect, however, was great - around 1,000 Spanish soldiers were killed in the explosion. The Brander , which he significantly improved , represented a new quality of this weapon. If it was previously possible to board these ships or to shoot the masts from close range, this was no longer possible with his ships. Constant explosions and far-reaching iron rain prevented any approach.
When Antwerp surrendered on August 17, 1585, Giambelli went to England, where he fortified the coast of Greenwich and a few other points until 1588 . He equipped eight fires against the great armada , which were unleashed on the night of August 7th to 8th against the enemy fleet near Dunkirk. When the Spaniards saw them, they shouted desperately: Antwerp fire! and fled hastily. Giambelli's further fate is unknown. He probably died in London, according to other sources, while fighting in Antwerp.
swell
- Changing of the Guard on the Ocean, János Erdödy, 1979, Zrínyí Printing House, Budapest, Hungary, ISBN 963-13-1568-1
Individual evidence
- ↑ The etching Pontis Antwerpiani fractura , National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London is a vivid illustration .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Giambelli, Federigo |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gianibelli, Federigo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian war builder |
| DATE OF BIRTH | before 1584 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mantua |
| DATE OF DEATH | after 1585 |
| Place of death | unsure: London |