Maria Pita: the story of a brave Spanish woman who stopped an English invasion

The history of Spain is full of distinguished women. One of those who deserves to be remembered with the greatest pride is one born in the town of Cambre in A Coruña.

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A Galician peasant who is fond of hunting and skilled with weapons

The exact date of birth of the protagonist of our story is not known, although it is estimated to have been in 1563 or 1564. Called María Mayor Fernández de Cámara y Pita, she came into the world into a simple family. Raised in the countryside, she took a liking to hunting and was skilled with weapons. She married Juan Alonso de Rois, a butcher, in 1581. María was quick to dress in mourning, as he died four years later. After being widowed for two years, our protagonist married again, this time to Gregorio de Rocamonde, also a butcher, in 1587.

The English attack on La Coruña in May 1589

Mary would have been 24 or 25 years old when, under the reign of Philip II, the Great Armada set sail for England in the summer of 1588, a disastrous military enterprise derisively dubbed by the English as the "Invincible Armada." After the collapse of the Spanish fleet, another, much less famous "invincible" fleet set sail from England for Spain, commanded by the English privateer and vice-admiral Sir Francis Drake. As soon as they set sail, the English sailed to La Coruña, where they arrived with a fleet of 150 ships and 23,000 men on May 4, 1589.

Although the city of Hercules was already an important city by then, it was poorly defended and had a force of four ships and barely 1,500 men between its small garrison and the local militias, so the city's residents, including women, were ready to help in its defense against the landing of some 8,000 English that took place on May 5.

"Whoever has honor, follow me!"

Unfortunately for Maria, Gregory of Rocamonde was one of the first defenders to fall to the English. She was there at the time of the events (women and even children helped the men by loading muskets and arquebuses). Demonstrating the nerve that has made so many Spanish heroines famous, Maria did not flee to mourn for her husband far from the battle: she took Gregory's place defending the wall.

It was there, near the convent of Santo Domingo, where an English ensign, according to some Drake's brother, tried to plant his flag on the wall. There are various versions of what happened then. The most widespread is that María ran the English ensign through with a pike, although others say she killed him with a stone, a sword or an arquebus shot. After finishing him off, the brave Galician took the fallen enemy's flag and raised it to inflame the defenders, shouting: "Whoever has honour, follow me!" This gesture encouraged the Spaniards. The death of the English ensign and María's brave gesture ended up demoralising the attackers and putting them to flight.

She was appointed second lieutenant by King Philip II

That day our heroine became a symbol of La Coruña's resistance. She continued to fight in the city and her example helped to encourage a defence so fierce that the English had to retreat, with heavy casualties, low morale and plagued by illness. It was as if everything, including nature, had turned against them for daring to insult this beautiful Galician city. King Philip II recognised Maria's courage by granting her the rank and salary of second lieutenant and also an export licence to Portugal. Our heroine even visited the court on a couple of occasions, in 1596 and 1606.

After the English defeat at La Coruña, in 1590 Maria remarried, this time to Captain Alonso de Arratia, a sailor who died in 1592. She later remarried, this time to Gil de Figueroa, squire of the Royal Court of Galicia. In total, from her various marriages Maria had four children.

The heroine of the city of La Coruña

María died in her native Cambre in 1643. In her will she asked to be buried in the Convent of Santo Domingo in La Coruña, which she had defended, but it is believed that she was buried in the Church of Sigrás, her native parish. The main square of La Coruña today bears her name, and there is a statue in it depicting her raising a spear. Various ships have also been named in her honour, including the corvette "María Pita" that carried the smallpox vaccine from La Coruña to America in 1803. Today, she is undoubtedly the most famous character in the history of A Coruña, and a heroine who deserves to be remembered throughout Galicia and the rest of Spain, as her example demonstrated the extent to which Spanish women are capable of displaying bravery and courage.

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Photo: Jose Luis Cernadas Iglesias / Wikimedia.