EL CAMINO ESPAÑOL A FLANDES

   

En los siglos XVI y XVII, España se vio envuelta en una terrible guerra en los Flandes en la que se jugó la mayor parte de su poderío económico, político y militar. Una guerra larga, demasiado larga, que se tragó incontables recursos y ejércitos enteros, y que nos parece sin sentido si se pierde de vista el contexto europeo de ese tiempo, y el papel de gran potencia que desempeñaba la Monarquía Católica de los Habsburgo. 

El problema principal al que se enfrentaba España era hacer llegar sus aguerridos tercios a Flandes, toda vez que la vía marítima por el Golfo de Vizcaya y el Canal de La Mancha estaba casi siempre descartada por las acciones corsarias de los hugonotes, la enemistad de Inglaterra y las correrías de los «mendigos del mar» y la flota holandesa. Pero si los soldados no podían ir por mar hasta Flandes, deberían hacerlo por tierra, atravesando Europa de sur a norte desde España o los dominios de Nápoles y Sicilia.

Lo que se conoce como Camino Español es en realidad un haz de itinerarios ramificados, un conjunto de vías que integran tres grandes rutas por las que discurrían los derroteros de las tropas.Cualquiera de estas rutas empezaba en Milán, la mayor plaza de Armas de Europa, una vez desembarcados en Génova y otros puertos de Liguria los soldados que habían embarcado en Barcelona, Valencia, Denia o Cartagena. 

La primera de ellas cruzaba Europa desde Lombardía hasta las brumosas tierras de Flandes pasando por el Milanesado, Saboya-Piamonte, el Franco-Condado borgoñón, Alsacia, Lorena, Thionville, Luxemburgo y el obispado-principado de Lieja, hasta alcanzar la ciudad-fortaleza de Namur y Bruselas, sede del gobierno español de los Países Bajos.

Esa era la ruta principal, pero cuando los franceses la cortaron fue necesario recurrir a dos itinerarios alternativos. Uno de estos, bordeando la ribera oeste del lago de Como, se internaba en el valle de la Valtelina siguiendo el curso del río Adda, por las regiones alpinas de Sondrio, Tirano, el Tirol y el sur de Alemania. Luego atravesaba el Rin cerca de Estrasburgo y retomaba la ruta principal en Alsacia.

Aún existió una tercera ruta, poco utilizada, que -contando con la buena voluntad y dinero suficiente para pagar a los cantones católicos- se adentraba en Suiza por Belinzona o el desfiladero del Simplón, y desde allí seguía por Baden y el San Gotardo hasta cruzar el Rin en Waldshut.

Ninguna de estas tres rutas era un camino de rosas. Había que cruzar los Alpes por varios sitios, atravesar grandes ríos, bosques profundos, desfiladeros y glaciares; caminar por senderos de difícil acceso y coronar cumbres y ventisqueros. Todo a pie, aunque los bagajes solían ir en carromatos o a lomos de mulas. Se trataba de recorridos peligrosos, que aun ahora resultan complicados de hacer, y muchos soldados perecían en el intento. Sin contar las deserciones de quienes, asustados por las penalidades de la marcha, simplemente desaparecían. Los soldados tenían que dormir muchas veces al raso o en campamentos improvisados, con las armas al alcance de la mano.

Lo increíble, dado tal cúmulo de dificultades, es que la ruta principal del Camino permaneciera abierta hasta 1622, año en el que el duque de Saboya negoció con Francia un tratado contra España; y que aún hubiera corredores militares aprovechables en 1633, cuando el rey francés Luis XIII ocupó Lorena y asestó el golpe definitivo. No es de extrañar que el historiador Geoffrey Parker, el mayor estudioso del Camino, haya calificado de «milagro» el que pudieran llegar soldados españoles por tierra a los Países Bajos.

Ilustraciones de El camino español

In the XVIth and XVIIth century, Spain met wrapped in a terrible war in the Flandes in which there was played most of his economic, political and military power. A long, too long war, which swallowed countless resources and entire armies, and that seems to us to be senseless if there gets lost of sight the European context of this time, and the paper of great power that was recovering the Catholic Monarchy of the Hapsburg.

The principal problem which Spain was facing was to make come his seasoned thirds to Flanders, although the sea route for the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel was rejected almost always by the actions corsarias of the Huguenots, the hatred of England and the raids of the " beggars of the sea " and the Dutch fleet. But if the soldiers could not go by sea up to Flanders, they should do it for land, crossing Europe of south to north from Spain or the domains of Naples and Sicily.ian French county, Alsace, Lorraine, Thionville, Luxembourg and the bishopric - principality of Liège, up to reaching Namur's city - strength and Brussels, headquarters of the Spanish government of the Netherlands.

What is known as Spanish Way is actually a bundle of branched out itineraries, a set of routes that integrate three big routes for those who were thinking up the courses of the troops. Any of these routes was begun by it in Milan, the major square of Europa's Weapon, once landed in Genoa and other ports of Liguria the soldiers who had embarked in Barcelona, Valencia, Denia or Cartagena.

The first one of them was crossing Europe from Lombardy up to the misty lands of Flanders spending for the Milanesado, Savoy - Piedmont, the BurgundThe principal problem which Spain was facing was to make come his seasoned thirds to Flanders, although the sea route for the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel was rejected almost always by the actions corsarias of the Huguenots, the hatred of England and the raids of the " beggars of the sea " and the Dutch fleet. But if the soldiers could not go by sea up to Flanders, they should do it for land, crossing Europe of south to north from Spain or the domains of Naples and Sicily. 

This age the principal route, but when the Frenchmen cut her it was necessary to resort to two alternative itineraries. One of these, bordering on the bank west of the lake of Since, was penetrating in the valley of the Valtelina following the course of the river Adda, for the Alpine regions of Sondrio, Tyrant, the Tirol and the south of Germany. Then it was crossing the Rhine near Strasbourg and was taking again the principal route in Alsace.

Still a third route existed, little used, that - possessing the good will and sufficient money to pay to the catholic cantons - was entering Switzerland for Belinzona or the gorge of the Zany, and from there it was continuing for Gully made by rainwater and the San Gotardo up to crossing the Rhine in Waldshut.

None of these three routes was a way of roses. It was necessary to cross the Alps for several sites, cross big rivers, deep forests, gorges and glaciers; to walk along paths of difficult access and to crown summits and snowdrifts. Quite afoot, though the baggages were in the habit of going in vans or to loins of mules. It was a question of dangerous tours, that even now they turn out to be complicated to do, and many soldiers were dying in the attempt. Without counting the desertions of those who, scared by the punishment of the march, simply were disappearing. The soldiers had to sleep often to the level one or in unexpected camps, with the weapon within reach.

The incredible thing, in view of such a heap of difficulties, is that the principal route of the Way remained opened until 1622, year in which the duke of Savoy negotiated with France an agreement against Spain; and that still there were military usable corridors in 1633, when the French king Luis XIII occupied Lorraine and aimed the definitive blow. It is not of surprising that the historian Geoffrey Parker, the major expert of the Way, has qualified of "miracle" the fact that Spanish soldiers could come for land to the Netherlands.