Miquelot de Prades
Catalan soldier famed for sword skill and military deeds.
Miquelot de Prades, also known as Miquel de Prades, was a Catalan soldier noted for his skill with the sword and various military exploits. He is believed to have been born around 1462, possibly in Balaguer, and died in 1505 off the coast of Belvedere Marittimo. Uncertainty remains whether three documented facts about a fencer, a murderer, and a soldier who died at sea refer to the same individual.
Quick Facts
- Also known as
- Miquel de Prades
- Nationality
- Catalan
- Occupation
- Soldier
Facts from the source article.
Documented facts
Historian Jerónimo Zurita recorded that the assassination of Giovanni Borgia, son of Alexander VI, in Rome in 1497 was attributed to Michalot de Prats, who was in the victim's service. Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés wrote of a Catalan soldier, Michalot de Pradas, who roamed Italy winning all duels with a thrust to the opponent's neck. Repentant, he took refuge at the monastery of Montserrat, but an Italian soldier with two swords challenged him, demanding to see the secret thrust. Miquelot refused until forced, then killed the Italian with a neck thrust. He went to Rome for forgiveness, and the pope incorporated him into his troops. No document indicates the type of sword used; it could have been a broadsword or a flexible, light sword. A Michalot de Prats, commanding an armed caravel near Naples, chased corsairs near Belvedere Marittimo. His ship, accompanying vessels, and captured privateers sank in a sudden storm in 1505, drowning all crew.
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