The other day we talked about the history of Spain will have more presence in Primary in the schools of the Community of Madrid and the truth is that seeing the exhibition of Blas de Lezo it is understood that it is necessary to know the historical events to know how we arrived to the present day. To the exhibition of Blas de Lezo I really wanted it since we published it here in September 2013. However, I have not been able to see it until almost its withdrawal, which, after having been extended, will take place tomorrow, February 3, 2014.
The exhibition of Blas de Lezo it's in the Naval Museum of Madrid and it is necessary to travel it in its entirety until arriving at the temporary location in which they included this Spanish sailor who was born in Pasajes, Gipuzkoa, on February 3, 1689 and died on September 7, 1741 in Cartagena de Indias, in Colombia. The exhibition includes a large mural with details of the battle of Cartagena de Indias in which the Spanish troops defeated the British. You can see the movements of the 6 Spanish ships and the 2,800 men under his command who defended Cartagena facing the second most important fleet in history, with 180 ships and 23,600 English soldiers. In this battle it was avoided that Spain lost the square considered strategically as the key of America and seeing the figures, the schemes and the days of combat, more than two months, it can be understood that this must have been terrible.
The exhibition is full of messages and words of Blas de Lezo, like the one below, in addition to this huge mural with all these qualifiers among those that are brave and convincing.
Blas de Lezo was unbeaten in all battles in which he participated, he entered the Navy with 15 years and soon stood out for its value. At 23 he got the job of a ship captain. At 25 he was lame on the left leg, one-eyed left eye and part of the right arm. Blas de Lezo and Olavarrieta fought in the Mediterranean next to the future King Carlos III, in the Pacific against the English and Dutch privateers and in America to defend the conquered Spanish territories.
Also in the exhibition there are some elements to complement it as a cannon of the time, the commemorative coins of the English for a victory that never occurred and even a picture of the Admiral Vernon, very hidden, and that apparently always maintained, since they were midshipmen, a great rivalry with Blas de Lezo. There were also weapons and an angle conveyor that allowed the cannon to be oriented to make the best shots against the enemy.
Encouraged by the noise caused by the exhibition, the Museum was full and many children! when i attended finally it has been decided to pay tribute to Blas de Lezo and goes to erect a monument, by popular subscription, which will be located wherever it was Columbus pedestal in the Discovery square of Madrid. It is a place closely linked to Latin America and which also has the great Spanish flag whose custody is the responsibility of the Navy. The Asociation Monument to Blas de Lezo She is in charge of choosing the sculpture of the sailor and will donate it later to the Madrid City Council. There is already a sketch by the artist Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau on the figure of the sailor, who has many options to become the chosen one. The popular subscription is still open and donations are accepted in the checking account ES57 0086 5144 16 0010030580.
I took the opportunity to take a look at Naval Museum of Madrid in which there is no ship that is capable of sailing, except a huge canoe made of mahogany in one piece and that is imposing. In the Museum, very loaded in my opinion, there are models of ships, submarines and seaplanes, uniforms, extraordinary paintings in which you can see the history of Spain since 1492, many navigation tools with great pedagogical potential for children and many maps and schemes that show the Spain's capacity at sea in the last 500 years. In any case a great Museum that can't be seen in one morning and which should be approached in small doses to analyze and know all its content of the highest value. The entrance to the Museum is free although there is a voluntary contribution of 3 euros. And remember that in this type of Museums it is very important to follow the three essential rules: don't run, don't scream and don't touch.
