KINGDOM OF SPAIN. RGT. "FIGUEROA" 1706 (aka REGIMIENTO ESTRANJERO DEL ESTADO DE MILAN aka COPPOLA)

 Returning to the Siege and subsequent Battle of Turin, I have begun to examine the Spanish troops that took part in the battle, as I have noticed that there is considerable confusion surrounding them. These forces included the Louvigny Regiment (which I have already discussed), the Brabant, Figueroa and Flandres Cavalry Regiments, and the dismounted Caylus Dragoon Regiment, the famous “Yellow Dragoons.”

Here I will focus on the Figueroa Cavalry Regiment, which has a particularly interesting history.

I must also acknowledge an error on my part. I had previously indicated to Kronoskaf that this regiment had blue facings, having confused it with the Milano Infantry Regiment. More accurate sources, however, show that the Figueroa Regiment actually had red facings.

On 19 February 1701, the Governor of the Duchy of Milan, Prince Charles Henri de Lorraine-Vaudémont, ordered a general reorganisation of the cavalry regiments serving in the State of Milan. The newly reorganised units were reviewed for the first time on 20 April 1701 and comprised:

1. the Regimiento del General de la Caballería, or Marquis de Balbases;
2. the Regimiento del Teniente General de la Caballería del Estado, Prince de Trivulzio;
3. the Regimiento de Caballería Napolitana, or Valdefuentes;
4. the Regimiento de la Caballería Extranjera del Estado de Milán, the regiment which later became known as Figueroa Cavalry.

The latter regiment was formed principally from the twelve companies of the Caballería Extranjera de Milán, a body of predominantly German mercenary cavalry which had served the Duchy of Milan since 1685, together with one company of Neapolitan cavalry. 

At its first review in 1701 the reformed regiment comprised 10 companies, 56 officers, 471 mounted troopers and 30 dismounted men, confirming that it was already a substantial formation. Its recruitment remained traditionally German, despite its incorporation into the military establishment of Spanish Milan.

During the War of the Spanish Succession the regiment changed commanders several times. From 20 April 1701 it was commanded by Gaetano Coppola, who in May 1702 was appointed colonel of the Guardia de Italia. The colonelcy then remained vacant for a short period until Fernando Suárez de Figueroa, later Viscount de Surco, assumed command in 1703. It was under his name that the regiment became generally known as Figueroa Cavalry. On 12 December 1708, command passed to Philippe Richard du Puys, son of the Lieutenant-General of the Cavalry of Flanders.

Thi unit originated from the Regimiento Estrajero del Estado de Lilan, whose origins went back to 1661. 

Uniform in 1706

The regiment’s early eighteenth-century uniform can be reconstructed as a white coat with red distinctions. Contemporary and later descriptions indicate:

• white coat;
• white neckcloth or cravat;
• red cuffs/facings;
• red waistcoat;
• red saddlecloth;
• red pistol-holster covers;
• white or silver-coloured edging on the saddlecloth and holster covers;
• grey gloves;
• a shoulder-belt or bandolier of grey;
• brass fittings on the sword-belt;
• boots with spurs.

The horse furniture therefore repeated the red facing colour, making the regiment visually quite distinctive despite the otherwise predominantly white uniform.

The description of the related Milanese cavalry tradition is particularly useful in understanding the equipment typical of these units. The sword-belt fittings were of brass, while the troopers carried their firearms by means of a shoulder-belt arrangement. 

Service during the War of the Spanish Succession

The regiment was employed actively from the very beginning of the conflict.

On 5 October 1701, eight of its companies formed part of the reinforcements sent from Milan to the Viceroy of Naples by Prince de Vaudémont to help suppress an uprising.

On 5 November 1701, the regiment belonged to the detachment placed by the Duc de Vendôme under the command of the Comte d’Estaing at Mortara and Novara, with the task of covering Milan. By the end of that month it was attached to the corps of Colmenero and d’Estaing and stationed at Cozzo, near Novara.

By 27 January 1704, it was again serving with d’Estaing’s corps near Novara, and in mid-February it was posted between Castello d’Agogna and Nicorvo.

In 1705, orders of battle list the regiment under the designation Caballería Alemana, or “German Cavalry”, with a strength of approximately 550 men. This name clearly reflects its traditional recruitment from German-speaking soldiers.

In 1706, Figueroa Cavalry took part in the Siege of Turin and was present at the decisive Battle of Turin on 7 September. Following the catastrophic Franco-Spanish defeat, the regiment withdrew towards France with the remnants of the allied army.

Its presence at Turin places it among the relatively limited number of Spanish cavalry formations involved in the campaign, alongside the Brabant and Flandres Cavalry Regiments, while the dismounted Caylus Dragoons, the celebrated “Yellow Dragoons”, represented another important Spanish mounted formation fighting on foot.

In 1707, Figueroa was placed on French pay and served in Germany, where it was present at the combat of Offenburg.

From 1708, the regiment was initially stationed at Besançon and subsequently campaigned in Alsace, Franche-Comté and Germany. On 12 December 1708, Philippe Richard du Puys assumed command.

In 1713, Du Puys brought the regiment to Catalonia. Two years later, in 1715, the Aponte Cavalry was incorporated into Du Puys’ regiment. Finally, in 1718, the resulting formation was renamed Barcelona Cavalry.