Federigo Giambelli (or Gianibelli; also given as Genebelli or Genibelli in contemporary English texts), was an Italian military and civil engineer who worked in Spain, the Spanish Netherlands and England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Giambelli was born at Mantua about the middle of the 16th century. Having had some experience as a military engineer in Italy, he went to Spain to offer his services to Philip II. However, his proposals were given a lukewarm reception, and as he could obtain no immediate employment from the king, he moved to Antwerp, where he soon gained considerable reputation for his knowledge in various departments of science.[1] He is said to have married while living there.[2]
The Siege of Antwerpedit
An 18th century engraving, depicting the explosion of one of Giambelli's "hellburners" on the Duke of Parma's pontoon bridge at the Siege of Antwerp in 1585.
Giambelli is said to have vowed to be revenged for his rebuff at the Spanish court; and when Antwerp was besieged by Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma in 1584, he offered his services to Elizabeth I of England, who, having satisfied herself of his abilities, engaged him to advise in its defence. His plans for provisioning the town were rejected by the senate, but they agreed to a modification of his scheme for destroying the pontoon bridge which closed the entrance to the town from the side of the sea, by the conversion of two ships of 60 and 70 tons into "infernal machines" or "hellburners".[1] Each ship had a masonry chamber built into the hold, filled with 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms) of gunpowder and heaped over with millstones, tombstones and scrap iron; stacks of timber and brushwood on the top deck were set alight to give the impression that it was an ordinary fire ship. The explosive charge was to be detonated by a clockwork mechanism activating a flintlock.[3] One of these ships exploded against the bridge, and besides allegedly killing more than 1000 Spanish soldiers, effected a breach in the structure of more than 200 feet (61 Metres) in width. This might have led to the relief of the town by the waiting Dutch fleet, except for the hesitation of Vice-Admiral Jacob Jacobsen (or Jacobzoon).[4]
After the surrender of Antwerp, Giambelli went to England, where he was employed by the Crown between 1585 and 1602, the last in a line of a number Italian engineers at the English court.[5] He was engaged during July and August 1588 in fortifying the Thames Estuary, which was considered the most likely site for the expected Spanish invasion. Works included the construction of earthen ramparts around the old blockhouses at Tilbury and Gravesend, and a boom defence across the river, consisting of a chain supported by 120 ships' masts; also a pontoon bridge was constructed to allow the English army to deploy on either shore. The boom broke at the first flood tide after its completion.[6] The exact contribution of Giambelli to these works is unknown, because he is not mentioned in any of the reports made by the Earl of Leicester, the commander of the English army in Essex;[7] however, his name is noted in the accounts, drawing a respectable fee of six shillings and eight pence (£0.33) per day.[8] When the Spanish Armada was attacked by fireships in the Calais roads, the panic which ensued was largely due to the conviction among the Spaniards that the fireships were "infernal machines" constructed by Giambelli;[1] however they were unaware that he was fully occupied by the defensive works in the Thames and that a national shortage of gunpowder prevented its use in the English fireships.[9]
In 1591, Giambelli presented a plan to the Lord Burghley for a water system to cleanse the fetid ditches surrounding the City of London and another (perhaps a type of fire hydrant) which would allow fires in the city to be fought more effectively. Neither of these schemes seem to have been acted upon.[10]
Starting in 1597, Giambelli constructed a trace Italienne fortification surrounding Carisbrook Castle on the Isle of Wight; the work was mostly completed by 1600, but remodelling of two of the castle's original towers was not completed until 1603.[11] In 1602 at the request of the Privy Council, Giambelli surveyed the fort on Plymouth Hoe, which was sited on the location now occupied by the Royal Citadel, following complaints that the defences were inadequate.[12] Giambelli made three reports on Plymouth. He suggested surrounding the town with a wall with nine ravelins.[13]
He is said to have died in London, but the year of his death is unknown.[1]
Referencesedit
^ abcdOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Giambelli, Federigo". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 925.
^Motley, John Lothrop (1888), History of the United Netherlands, Harper & Brothers, New York (p. 189)
^Buisseret, David (1992), Monarchs, Ministers, and Maps: The Emergence of Cartography as a Tool of Government in Early Modern Europe, University of Chicago Press ISBN978-0226079875 (p. 59)
^Hutchinson, Robert (2013), The Spanish Armada, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN978-1-7802-2088-8 (pp. 60-61)
^Cruden, Robert Peirce (1843), The History of the Town of Gravesend, William Pickering, London (p, 237)
^Matthews, William (1835), Hydraulia, an Historical and Descriptive Account of the Water Works of London, Simkin, Marshall and Co, London (pp. 30-31)
^Goode, Dominic. . www.fortified-places.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
^"The British Library - A plan of "Plimouth Forte," now the citadel; drawn by Federico Genibelli". theeuropeanlibrary.org/. The European Library. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
^HMC Laing Manuscripts at the University of Edinburgh, vol. 1 (London, 1914), p. 92: HMC Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Marquis of Salisbury at Hatfield House, vol. 12 (London, 1910), pp. 555-9.
November 26, 2023
federigo, giambelli, gianibelli, also, given, genebelli, genibelli, contemporary, english, texts, italian, military, civil, engineer, worked, spain, spanish, netherlands, england, late, 16th, early, 17th, centuries, contents, early, life, spanish, service, sie. Federigo Giambelli or Gianibelli also given as Genebelli or Genibelli in contemporary English texts was an Italian military and civil engineer who worked in Spain the Spanish Netherlands and England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries Contents 1 Early life and Spanish service 2 The Siege of Antwerp 3 Service in England 4 ReferencesEarly life and Spanish service editGiambelli was born at Mantua about the middle of the 16th century Having had some experience as a military engineer in Italy he went to Spain to offer his services to Philip II However his proposals were given a lukewarm reception and as he could obtain no immediate employment from the king he moved to Antwerp where he soon gained considerable reputation for his knowledge in various departments of science 1 He is said to have married while living there 2 The Siege of Antwerp edit nbsp An 18th century engraving depicting the explosion of one of Giambelli s hellburners on the Duke of Parma s pontoon bridge at the Siege of Antwerp in 1585 Giambelli is said to have vowed to be revenged for his rebuff at the Spanish court and when Antwerp was besieged by Alexander Farnese Duke of Parma in 1584 he offered his services to Elizabeth I of England who having satisfied herself of his abilities engaged him to advise in its defence His plans for provisioning the town were rejected by the senate but they agreed to a modification of his scheme for destroying the pontoon bridge which closed the entrance to the town from the side of the sea by the conversion of two ships of 60 and 70 tons into infernal machines or hellburners 1 Each ship had a masonry chamber built into the hold filled with 7 000 pounds 3 175 kilograms of gunpowder and heaped over with millstones tombstones and scrap iron stacks of timber and brushwood on the top deck were set alight to give the impression that it was an ordinary fire ship The explosive charge was to be detonated by a clockwork mechanism activating a flintlock 3 One of these ships exploded against the bridge and besides allegedly killing more than 1000 Spanish soldiers effected a breach in the structure of more than 200 feet 61 Metres in width This might have led to the relief of the town by the waiting Dutch fleet except for the hesitation of Vice Admiral Jacob Jacobsen or Jacobzoon 4 Service in England edit nbsp One of Giambelli s bastions at Carisbrook Castle built between 1597 and 1600 After the surrender of Antwerp Giambelli went to England where he was employed by the Crown between 1585 and 1602 the last in a line of a number Italian engineers at the English court 5 He was engaged during July and August 1588 in fortifying the Thames Estuary which was considered the most likely site for the expected Spanish invasion Works included the construction of earthen ramparts around the old blockhouses at Tilbury and Gravesend and a boom defence across the river consisting of a chain supported by 120 ships masts also a pontoon bridge was constructed to allow the English army to deploy on either shore The boom broke at the first flood tide after its completion 6 The exact contribution of Giambelli to these works is unknown because he is not mentioned in any of the reports made by the Earl of Leicester the commander of the English army in Essex 7 however his name is noted in the accounts drawing a respectable fee of six shillings and eight pence 0 33 per day 8 When the Spanish Armada was attacked by fireships in the Calais roads the panic which ensued was largely due to the conviction among the Spaniards that the fireships were infernal machines constructed by Giambelli 1 however they were unaware that he was fully occupied by the defensive works in the Thames and that a national shortage of gunpowder prevented its use in the English fireships 9 In 1591 Giambelli presented a plan to the Lord Burghley for a water system to cleanse the fetid ditches surrounding the City of London and another perhaps a type of fire hydrant which would allow fires in the city to be fought more effectively Neither of these schemes seem to have been acted upon 10 Starting in 1597 Giambelli constructed a trace Italienne fortification surrounding Carisbrook Castle on the Isle of Wight the work was mostly completed by 1600 but remodelling of two of the castle s original towers was not completed until 1603 11 In 1602 at the request of the Privy Council Giambelli surveyed the fort on Plymouth Hoe which was sited on the location now occupied by the Royal Citadel following complaints that the defences were inadequate 12 Giambelli made three reports on Plymouth He suggested surrounding the town with a wall with nine ravelins 13 He is said to have died in London but the year of his death is unknown 1 References edit a b c d nbsp One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Giambelli Federigo Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 11 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 925 Motley John Lothrop 1888 History of the United Netherlands Harper amp Brothers New York p 189 Motley pp 191 192 Motley pp 198 199 Buisseret David 1992 Monarchs Ministers and Maps The Emergence of Cartography as a Tool of Government in Early Modern Europe University of Chicago Press ISBN 978 0226079875 p 59 Hutchinson Robert 2013 The Spanish Armada Weidenfeld amp Nicolson ISBN 978 1 7802 2088 8 pp 60 61 Cruden Robert Peirce 1843 The History of the Town of Gravesend William Pickering London p 237 Cruden p 271 Hutchinson p 157 Matthews William 1835 Hydraulia an Historical and Descriptive Account of the Water Works of London Simkin Marshall and Co London pp 30 31 Goode Dominic Carisbrooke Castle www fortified places com Archived from the original on 19 October 2014 Retrieved 5 December 2014 The British Library A plan of Plimouth Forte now the citadel drawn by Federico Genibelli theeuropeanlibrary org The European Library Retrieved 2 March 2015 HMC Laing Manuscripts at the University of Edinburgh vol 1 London 1914 p 92 HMC Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Marquis of Salisbury at Hatfield House vol 12 London 1910 pp 555 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Federigo Giambelli amp oldid 1170569916, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
