Antonio Barceló

For the Puerto Rican politician, see Antonio Rafael Barceló.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Barceló and the second or maternal family name is Pont de la Terra.

Antonio Barceló
Born	1 January 1717 Palma, Majorca
Died	30 January 1797 Palma, Majorca
Allegiance	Spanish Empire
Service / branch	Spanish Navy
Years of service	1738–1792
Rank	Lieutenant general General admiral
Commands	Mediterranean expeditionary fleets
Battles / wars	Conquest of Oran Invasion of Algiers Great Siege of Gibraltar Bombardment of Algiers (1783) Bombardment of Algiers (1784)

Antonio Barceló y Pont de la Terra (1 January 1717 – 30 January 1797) was a Spanish Navy officer.

Of humble origins, Barceló rose to officer of the Spanish Navy on military merits alone, an unusual event. He was a leading figure against Barbary piracy and slave trade in the western Mediterranean, adopting their tactics to counter them and serving himself as a pirate hunter for most of his career. He later developed extensively the usage of naval artillery and gunboats.

Biography

He was the oldest of the five sons of Onofre Barceló, a small time privateer against the Muslim piracy that attacked the coasts of the western Mediterranean. Antonio started his career as a cabin boy in Onofre's xebec Santo Cristo de Santa Margarita, eventually replacing Onofre as its captain, and added a job as a royal mail ship between Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona.

With the Spanish Navy focused on the War of Jenkins' Ear since 1739, Barceló and other privateers were recruited and received the official mission to prevent further piracy. Eventually he became lieutenant general of the Spanish Navy.

He is also famous for his bombardments of Algiers (Bombardment of Algiers in August 1783 and 2nd Bombardment of Algiers in July 1784) and use of gunboats during the Great Siege of Gibraltar.

Antonio is also credited of putting sailors and ships under the patronage of the Virgin of Carmel and shifting away from the patronage of St. Elmo. Today, on the feast day of the Viring of Carmel, blessing of boats still takes place in many Spanish towns.

References

• Rodríguez González, Agustín (2016). Antonio Barceló. EDAF. ISBN 978-8441437135.
• San Juan, Víctor (2019). Breve historia de las batallas navales de las fragatas. Nowtilus. ISBN 978-8413050768.
• Guimerá Ravina, Agustín (2008). Guerra naval en la Revolución y el Imperio: Bloqueos y operaciones anfibias, 1793-1815. Marcial Pons Historia. ISBN 978-8496467804.

External links

• College of the Theatine Fathers, the house where the Captain was born