María Pita

María Mayor Fernández de Cámara y Pita (1565 – 21 February 1643), known as María Pita, was a heroine in the defense of Coruña, Galicia (northern Spain), against the English Armada attack, an English attack upon the Spanish mainland in 1589.[1] She was born in Sigrás.

María Pita
Monument to María Pita, A Coruña
Born
María Mayor Fernández de Cámara y Pita

1565
Santiago de Sigrás
Died21 February 1643(1643-02-21) (aged 77–78)
NationalitySpanish
Known forHeroine in the defense of Coruña, Galicia
María Pita charging the English, by Arturo Fernández Cersa.

Early life

Born to Simón Arnao and María Pita circa 1556-1565, she dedicated her early life to working her own business in Peixería da Coruña.[2]

Defense of Coruña

On 4 May 1589, English forces, already in control of the lower city, breached the defenses of the old city. María Pita was assisting her husband, an army captain manning the defenses. An English commander with a banner, who was leading the assault to the highest part of the wall, was killed by Pita who, full of rage, snatched the spear carrying the English banner from the commander and killed him with it. The man was allegedly the brother of Admiral Francis Drake.. This demoralized the English troops, composed of 12.000 men, who began to retreat, but María Pita's husband was killed by a crossbow bolt that struck him in the head. María Pita then appeared on the heights of the wall herself, shouting: Quen teña honra, que me siga ("Whoever has honour, follow me!") whereupon the English incursion was driven back by the defenders. The English later abandoned the siege and withdrew to their ships. Other women also participated directly in the defense of Coruña; a surviving record tells of one Inés de Ben receiving treatment for two shots received in the siege. Pita's heroic deeds were honoured and rewarded by Philip II, who granted her the pension of a military officer, which she received following the death of her husband who was killed during the battle.[3]

Attributed battle cry: "Those with honor, follow me!" Galician: "¡Quen teña honra, que me siga!"

Personal life

María Pita was married four times and had four children. Her first husband was Xoán de Rois, a butcher. They were married from 1581 until his death in 1585. Her second marriage was to Gregorio de Rocamonde, also a butcher, who was killed during the Siege of Coruña in 1589. Her third husband was an Andalusian shipmaster named Sancho de Arratia. They were married from 1590 to 1592. Her fourth and final husband was Gil Bermúdez de Figueroa, a squire of the royal court, who died in 1613. Her four children were María Alonso de Rois, Francisca de Arratia, Juan Bermúdez de Figueroa and Francisco Bermúdez de Figueroa.

Other

Her city honors her with a 3.30 meter tall statue (more than 9 meters including pedestal).

Spanish ships
  • The ship María Pita of the Balmis Expedition was named after her in 1803.[4]
  • In August 2008, SASEMAR (Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima, Spanish acronym for Sea Rescue and Safety Society) baptized the BS-14 Rescue Ship as María Pita.[5]

See also

References
  1. House-Museum of María Pita (Spanish)
  2. Saavedra Vázquez, María do Carmen (2006). ""María Pita A Coruña heroine famous for the defense of the city against the English"".
  3. Archivo General de Simancas. Memorial de 1596.no just no... Cámara de Castilla, atado 772.
  4. "La Corbeta María Pita (Spanish)". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  5. BS María Pita (Spanish) Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
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