Jean Bonaventure Thierry du Mont, comte de Gages (Mons, now in Belgium, 27 December 1682 – Pamplona, Spain, 31 January 1753), Viceroy of Navarre, 1746–1753, a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1745, was a Flemish - Walloon born Spanish General who was awarded by king Philip V of Spain in 1745, the first Bourbon house legal king of Spain since 1713 as a consequence of the European Truces, Treaty of Utrecht, 1713, derived from the Spanish War of Succession, 1700–1713, the title of "Conde", "Count", of Gages, near Brugelette in Hainaut (formerly part of the Spanish Netherlands, but under Austrian control since the Treaty of Utrecht).
Milan had been conquered by Spanish troops to Austrian Imperial troops previously in 1734 within the context of the European dispute known as the War of Polish Succession, 1733 - 1735. Between February - September 1734, they stormed and conquered successively, with the help of the Italian born soldiers, too, Naples, Bitonto, Milan and Sicily.
11 years later, in 1745, there were battles again between the French-Spanish coalition, commanded by Infante Felipe, son of king Philip V of Spain, asssisted between others by the French Marshal Maillebois, and the Spanish General J.B.T. du Mont, and the Austrian-Sardinian coalition, backed by England.
As Captain General, he led the Spanish and Neapolitan armies in Italy against the Austrian Empire during the bloody and widely extended European War, War of the Austrian Succession,(1740–1748), a.k.a King George's War in North America, and incorporating the War of Jenkins' Ear with Spain, between other armed conflicts .
On February 8, 1743, he met the Austrians and Sardinians at the Battle of Campo Santo, followd later from September to December 1745 by the 2nd Battle of Milan, 1745 which was widely considered a victory in Madrid.
When Marshal Saxe defeated the British Army at Battle of Fontenoy in 1745 and overran the Low Countries, the Spanish Crown granted du Mont the county of Gages, near his birth place but then occupied by the Austrians since 1713.
Meanwhile, "Juan de Gages" as he was usually described by his troops, with his Spanish- Neapolitan soldiers , fought against the Austrians in the Milanese and Piedmont, Parma and Piacenza supported by the Genoese, too. Towards the end of 1745 Alexandria and Milan were conquered also, but king Philip V, heavily crippled and absolutely mad for many years died, aged 63, on 9 July 1746 . His second wife, protective, energetic and ambitious Queen of Spain and former Italian Princess Elizabeth of Parma, had achieved "status" for , at least, some of her own children with the next king, Ferdinand VI of Spain as the new king of Spain half brother, Charles, was ruling over half of the actual Italy, being king Charles VII of Naples, also king of Sicily.
Further, the count of Gages could not hold the Austrians in Piacenza, (16 June 1746), neither in Tidone, (10 August 1746). Time to be send elsewhere was ticking then.
The Austrians took back Milan on 18 March 1746 and the Spanish-Neapolitan troops were beaten by the Austrians at Piacenza and Tidone . Enough was enough, moneywise and blood wise, too, probably. The new king of Spain, Ferdinand VI of Spain, the half brother of Naples and Sicily king Charles, later also king of Spain under the name Charles III of Spain also seriously mentally ill, was probably well advised to stop all these adventurous, costly, wars.
Flemish born Juan Buenaventura Thierry du Mont was then awarded the title of Viceroy of Navarre in 1749. Some 4 years later he died there, in Pamplona, 1753. He was much interested in paving adequately many roads used during many centuries taking particular care on any Roman remains in or around such roads. His tomb was moved several times, specially during the Napoleonic Wars to avoid desecration by the French Imperial soldiers and after two or more moves it is found still in Pamplona Cathedral.
A page with all the Viceroys of Navarre from about 1512 to about 1841. For some reason, till now, 1 July 2010, the Viceroys of Navarre after the year 1700 can not be found in many Ecyclopediae and/or in the Wikipedia lists in other languages different than Spanish
EL CONDE DE GAGES, VIRREY DE NAVARRA DURANTE 1749-1753 by Ana Mendioroz Lacambra, published in Cuadernos del Marqués de San Adrián", reported as under the address:
http://www.uned.es/ca-tudela/.../ana_mendiorozindex.htm
Some 80 color photographs, probably copyrighted for no educational purposes, as they can be purchased, of Gothic style Pamplona Cathedral. The gotic tombstones of many Navarrese kings and their wives are fabulous.