The adventures of Captain Alatriste

Breda surrender (1634-1635). To paint it Velázquez was inspired by the story of Ambrosio Spinola, although according to The Sun of Breda It was Íñigo Balboa who gave him the description, after having witnessed the battle of the taking of the city. According to the novel, Alatriste was originally in the group on the right, behind the horse under the horizontal ark, being therefore the soldier who appears as a profile.

The adventures of Captain Alatriste is a collection of Children's and Youth Literature (LIJ) of the swashbuckling novel genre created by the Spanish author Arturo Pérez -Reverte with his daughter Carlota Pérez-Reverte Mañas and later continued by him alone from the second installment.

There are currently seven novels published since 1996 and are based on the adventures of Diego Alatriste y Tenorio, a veteran soldier of the Flanders tercios who survives in seventeenth-century Madrid renting his sword to anyone who needs it. In 2011, the seventh book was published, the last one to date, entitled The Assassins' Bridge.

The books that make up the collection are the following:

1. Captain Alatriste (1996). Illustrated by Carlos Puerta.
2. Blood cleaning (1997). Illustrated by Carlos Puerta.
3. The Sun of Breda (1998). Illustrated by Carlos Puerta.
4. The gold of the king (2000). Illustrated by Carlos Puerta and Joan Mundet.
5. The Knight of the Yellow Bumble (2003). Illustrated by Joan Mundet.
6. Corsarios de Levante (2006). Illustrated by Joan Mundet.
7. The Killer Bridge (2011). Illustrated by Joan Mundet.

Two more books are expected to be published:

• The Revenge of Alquézar
• Mission in Paris

In 2001 the collection began to be published in a school edition of which the first six books have been published with new illustrations, teachers' prologues, reading guides and historical maps. In 2009 a definitive edition of Captain Alatriste, reviewed by the author and with an introduction and notes by Alberto Montaner Frutos.

Main characters

Place where according to novels The Adventures of Captain Alatriste would be located Taberna del Turco, on the corner of the streets Arcabuz (current street San Bruno) and Toledo; Madrid.

• Diego Alatriste and Tenorio, or simply Captain Alatriste (Leon, 1582-19 May 1643, Rocroi), a soldier since the age of 13, has been working in Madrid as a paid swordsman running various orders based mainly on sword shocks. He was a soldier of the Tercio Viejo de Cartagena and fought in the Netherlands. In this campaign the nickname of Captain. After ordering his descent as a soldier in the third of Cartagena he heads to Naples and enrolls in the third there, fighting against Turks and Venetians. At this time he knows Alvaro de la Marca and saves his life. He enjoys good reputation and settles in the place, but he has to flee after having a problem with the woman he lives with. Escape to Seville and to Madrid, where he starts in the job of a paid swordsman. He re-roars in the old third of Cartagena, and returns to fight in the Netherlands. For his performance he gets the grade of sergeant, who then loses for beating himself to grief with an officer. His friend Lope Balboa died in Flanders, who asked him to take care of raising his son. After the defeat and annihilation of the old third of Cartagena, Alatriste returned to Spain, settled in Madrid and received Íñigo Balboa as a paje.

• Iñigo Balboa and Aguirre (Oñate, April 2, 1610-Madrid, ?) son of the Spanish soldier Lope Balboa (c.1575–1621), who died in the wars of Flanders and was a companion of Captain Alatriste. At the death of his father, he went to Madrid and was accepted as a paje. It is the narrator of the facts that are told in the collection.

• Sebastian F. Copons (Cillas de Ansó, (Huesca), 1580-19 May 1643, Rocroi?), Aragonese soldier, comrade of Captain Alatriste since they met in 1598 serving in the old third of Cartagena. With this third they participate in the wars of Flanders (Nieuport Battle in 1600, Ostende site from 1601 to 1604) and in the battles after the Twelve Years Truce.

• Francisco de Quevedo is the famous Spanish poet and representative of the Golden Age of Spanish literature. Venerable friend of Captain Alatriste, as well as enemy to death of the poet Luis de Góngora. He is the author of several popular verses and is attributed many others on controversial issues. Right-handed in the handling of the sword despite the light scissors that fit him. At the beginning of history he did not enjoy the Court's favor, although he sought to do so.

• Álvaro de la Marca, Conde de Guadalmedina. Noble, member of the Court of Philip IV, poet and great of Spain. He fought in Naples, where he met and had Captain Alatriste in favor, who once saved his life. At the time of history it enjoys the predilection of the King and Count of Olivares, private of the king.

• Gualterio Malatesta. Italian sword, born in Palermo (Sicilia). Sycariot prototype, enjoyed great skill with the sword. He had the face severely marked by the smallpox and always dressed in black. As a result of the history of the two English, he becomes the mortal enemy of Captain Alatriste.

• Luis de Alquézar. Real secretary and aligned with Brother Emilio Bocanegra. Character of palatial intrigues and dark affairs. Following English business becomes the enemy of the captain.

• Angelica de Alquézar. The royal secretary's niece Luis de Alquézar, of singular beauty in her blue eyes and blond hair, was a queen's woman and came to keep a busy romance with Íñigo Balboa, which lasted until the early death of the girl.

• Count of Olivares. Valid of the king, head of the government policy of Philip IV (years later he will get the title of Duke, and so the count-duke, by which he will be better known).

• Martin Saldaña. Former soldier and comrade of Alatriste, who after the wars of Italy withdrew lieutenant Sheriffs (the police of the time) in Madrid.

• Caridad la Lebrijana is the regenta of the Taberna del Turco, meeting place of Captain Alatriste and his friends. It also allows it to live in a room in the back. He lives in love with him, although his participation in history is not active.

• Fray Emilio Bocanegra. Fraile dominico, president of the Court of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, is opposed to the policy of the Count of Olivares, to whom he accuses of commercial relations and friendship with Portuguese Jewish bankers. As a result of this story it becomes the encarnized enemy of Alatriste.

• Ambrose of Spínola (1569–1630). Genoese General at the service of the Spanish Crown, and governor of Milan.

• Maria de Castro. Famous Spanish theater actress, Lope's favorite performer to premiere her works.

• Felix Lope de Vega y Carpio (1562-1635). Prince of the Spanish lyrics, Phoenix de los Ingenios.

Adaptations to other media

Role Playing

In 2002, the Barcelona publisher Devir Iberia published the Captain Alatriste's role-playing game, created by the historian, novelist and game designer Ricard Ibáñez. The same publisher has published two supplements for this role-playing game: Checkers (April 2003) and Fencing Masters (March 2004), both also signed by Ricardo Ibanez.

Comics

1. Captain Alatriste (2005). Guion de Carlos Giménez and illustrated by Joan Mundet, who had already illustrated the role play in 2002.
2. Blood cleaning (2008). Guion de Carlos Giménez and illustrated by Joan Mundet.

Cinema

In September 2006, the film Alatriste was released, directed by Agustín Díaz Yanes and starring Viggo Mortensen, based on the adventures of the captain.

Television

In January 2015, the series The adventures of Captain Alatriste starring Aitor Luna premiered on Telecinco.

In the series El Ministerio del Tiempo, Alonso de Entrerríos is compared to Diego Alatriste, in the first chapter. He then adopts that name as a pseudonym.

Music

The Spanish musical group Mägo de Oz dedicated the song La cruz de Santiago from the album Finisterra (2000) to this series of novels and to its author, Arturo Pérez-Reverte. Years later, Txus (Mägo de Oz drummer) composed another song with the title There's nothing left but to beat us, a phrase already published in the novel.

The Spanish musical group Anima Adversa included on their album El Sueño de los Justos the song Alatriste dedicated to the adventures lived by the protagonist of the novel.