Francisco Verdugo

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Francisco Verdugo, Spanish chief military man in the Flanders wars, (Talavera de la Reina, province of Toledo, 1537 - Luxembourg, 1595), became "Maestre de Campo General", (type of Field Marshall) in the Spanish Habsburgs Netherlands.

When he was barely 20 years old he participated in the Saint-Quentin in August 1557.

Verdugo was an Admiral of the Spanish Fleet in Flanders after being nominated Governor of Haarlem in 1573, aged 36, which he had helped to conquer. In 1576 he became Councilor of State for some Flemish territories.

After the arrival to Brussels in 1577 of the half brother of King Philip II of Spain,Juan of Austria, (1547 - 1578, aged 31), religious catholic zealots were kept at bay and Verdugo was promoted to Governor of Breda , and later of Thionville and Namur. He married in 1578, aged 41, Dorothea von Mansfeld, one of the daughters of Graf, or Count, Ernst von Mansfeld, (1517 - 1604) being thus the brother in law of his famous bastard son and brother Ernst von Mansfeld, (1580 - Rakovica, near Sarajevo, actual Bosnia, November 29, 1626).

In 1581 he was a Governor and Captain General of the Flemish province of Frisia. Francisco Verdugo died on 22nd September, 1595, being buried in the Convent of Sancti Spiritus, (Orden de Santa Clara), in Luxembourg.