Alvaro de Bazan, Marquis de of Santa Cruz Alvaro de Bazan, Marquis de Santa Cruz, was the commander of the Spanish fleet that proved victorious at the naval Battle of Ponta Delgada on July 26, 1582. © Whpics/Dreamstime.com. (more) Battle of Ponta Delgada Spanish history [1582] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Ponta-Delgada Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites The Spanish War History - The Conquest of the Azores Islands Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Battle of Vila Franca do Campo Written by R.G. Grant R.G. Grant is a historian who has written extensively on many aspects and periods of history. His work appears in Encyclopaedia Britannica as part of a joint publishing agreement with the publisher of... R.G. Grant Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Dec 10, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Quick Facts Also called: Battle of Vila Franca do Campo (Show more) Date: July 26, 1582 (Show more) Location: Atlantic Ocean Azores Ponta Delgada São Miguel Island (Show more) Participants: Portugal Spain (Show more) Key People: António, prior of Crato Álvaro de Bazán, Marqués de Santa Cruz (Show more) See all related content Fought on July 26, 1582, off the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, the Battle of Ponta Delgada was a Spanish victory that ended Portuguese resistance to the takeover of their country by Spain’s king Philip II. It inspired the Spanish with a confidence in their naval power that led directly to the Armada expedition against England six years later.

　　Philip II claimed the Portuguese crown and annexed the country in 1580. A Portuguese pretender to the throne, Antonio, Prior of Crato, intended to use the Azores as a base to fight back against the Spanish. With the support of France, he fitted out a fleet and manned it with Portuguese exiles and an international band of military adventurers.

　　Britannica Quiz A History of War Sixty ships sailed to the Azores under the command of Filippo Strozzi, a Florentine mercenary with impressive military experience. Spain, however, had an inspired naval commander in Alvaro de Bazan, Marquis de Santa Cruz, one of the heroes of the Battle of Lepanto. Although Santa Cruz’s experience was with oared Mediterranean galleys, he assembled a fleet of twenty-eight oceanic sailing ships, consisting mostly of large Portuguese-built galleons and armed merchantmen, that located Strozzi’s force off São Miguel Island.

　　The battle began with the Spanish galleon San Mateo blundering in among enemy ships that bombarded it from all sides. Santa Cruz formed his ships in line abreast, like a galley fleet, and sailed to the rescue. The heavier cannon fire of the larger Spanish ships proved decisive. At the climax of the battle, Strozzi’s flagship was battered and boarded by Santa Cruz’s San Martin; Strozzi himself was killed. Emboldened by his success, Santa Cruz persuaded Philip II to begin construction of a large fleet of galleons to be used to invade England.

　　Losses: Portuguese, 11 ships destroyed or captured and 1,500 dead; Spanish, no ships lost and 224 dead.