Il Gran Soccorso
by Ray Agius
Original - Sold
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Dimensions
30.000 x 22.000 inches
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Title
Il Gran Soccorso
Artist
Ray Agius
Medium
Painting - Watercolour On Cold-pressed 300 Gsm Watercolour Paper
Description
The Gran Soccorso
On Friday, September 7, a large armada, the Gran Soccorso (the Great Relief Force) commanded by the Viceroy of Spain, was finally just a few miles from Malta.
More than three months earlier, Grand Master de Valette had sent a message to Viceroy Don Garcia de Toledo, his closest ally, informing him that the Turks had arrived in Malta and reminding him of his promise to send help before June.
In the weeks that followed, Don Garcia delayed and delayed, sending a small force of 700 men in late June, but not the thousands that de Valette had requested. As the days and weeks dragged on, the Knights began to realize that they would most likely have to save themselves.
Finally, Don Garcia gathered a fleet of fifty-eight galleys and an army of 8,000 in Sicily. At the end of August they set sail for Malta but violent storms damaged and threatened to sink many of the vessels. They returned to Sicily and, following repairs, put to sea again on September 3. But once more the weather turned foul and the fleet turned back. They set sail a third time on Thursday, September 6, and on the following day, the mighty Spanish fleet finally arrived in Malta.
When all the troops and munitions had been disembarked, Don Garcia sailed his ship eastwards to a position where he could be clearly seen and fired salvos to signal to the Grand Master and his knights in Birgu that the relief force had landed.
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April 30th, 2015
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