[THE 1732 RECONQUEST OF ORAN / SPANISH RULE IN MAGHREB / COLONIALISM / THE MEDITERRANEAN TRADE / ALGERIA] Belli Africani ad Oran quatuor dierum spatio feliciter confecti descriptio

N. A.

[S.l., s.n., c. 1732].

Complete title: [THE 1732 RECONQUEST OF ORAN / SPANISH RULE IN MAGHREB / COLONIALISM / THE MEDITERRANEAN TRADE / ALGERIA] Belli Africani ad Oran quatuor dierum spatio feliciter confecti descriptio [i.e., A description of the successful completion of the African war at Oran in the space of four days].

Original letterpress broadside on “S.P.” watermarked thick paper. Folio (34 × 24 cm). Printed in Latin on a single sheet. The text is enclosed within a richly ornamented typographic border composed entirely of repeated printer's ornaments and decorative typographical devices. A large headline in bold Roman capitals occupies the upper portion of the sheet, followed by an eight-line celebratory poem arranged in centred lines. The contrast between the monumental title and the elaborate ornamental border creates a visually striking example of eighteenth-century occasional and triumphal printing. Old fold marks; a tiny tear to the lower left edge, with no loss of paper. Else fine.

Exceedingly rare and apparently unrecorded contemporary triumphal broadside celebrating the successful reconquest of Oran in 1732, one of the most important Spanish military victories in eighteenth-century North Africa. Apparently issued under the auspices of Pope Clement XII, it was designed to commemorate the event and publicise the victory among the broader Christian communities of Europe. The title proclaims the fortunate conclusion of the African campaign "within the space of four days" (quatuor dierum spatio feliciter confecti), while the accompanying verses praise the victory as both a military achievement and a manifestation of divine favour.

The verse reads:

Prima dies litus frustra obsistentibus Afris occupat; exustos monte secunda fugat.
Tertia sidereas turres urbemque subegit; quarta arcem, qua non fortior ulla, domat.
Sic positus bello finis; gratesque solutae, auspice, quo victa est gens inimica, Deo.
Quam rapida innumera venit Victoria palma! Sed quae, Christe, unquam te duce lenta fuit?

[i.e., “On the first day, the shore was seized, despite the futile resistance of the African defenders; on the second, they were driven from the mountain heights. The third subdued the lofty towers and the city itself; the fourth overcame the fortress, then which none was stronger. Thus, the war was brought to its conclusion, and thanks were offered to God, by whose favour the enemy nation was defeated. How swiftly came Victory, crowned with countless laurels! Yet tell me, O Christ, what triumph under Thy guidance was ever slow?”].

First conquered by Spain in 1509, Oran became one of the principal strongholds of Spanish power on the North African coast as a Mediterranean harbour city. Captured from the Kingdom of Tlemcen, the city formed part of a network of fortified colonial outposts established to secure maritime communications, suppress corsair activity, and project Spanish influence across the western Mediterranean. Together with Mers-el-Kébir and Melilla, Oran occupied a central place in Spain's imperial strategy in the Maghreb and remained one of the most important symbols of Spanish authority in Africa.

Spanish rule was interrupted in 1708, when Mustapha Ben Youssef seized the city during the upheavals of the War of the Spanish Succession. In 1732, however, a major expedition dispatched by Philip V and commanded by José Carrillo de Albornoz, Duke of Montemar, successfully recovered Oran for the Spanish Crown. The present broadside was almost certainly issued in connection with this celebrated reconquest and the restoration of Spanish authority in one of its most important African possessions.

Beyond its immediate military significance, the broadside reflects the wider history of Iberian expansion in North Africa. Alongside Portuguese possessions such as Ceuta, Tangier, Arzila, Safi, Azemmour, and Mazagão, Spanish strongholds including Oran formed part of a broader system through which the Iberian powers sought to control Mediterranean trade routes, dominate strategic maritime communications, contain Ottoman influence, suppress corsair activity, and maintain a permanent Christian presence along the southern shores of the Mediterranean. As such, the present publication constitutes an important witness to the political and ideological culture that accompanied early modern colonial expansion in the Maghreb.

Historical context and expedition: In 1708, taking advantage of Spain's preoccupation with the War of the Spanish Succession, the Regency of Algiers successfully captured the strategic port cities of Oran and Mers el-Kebir, ending nearly two centuries of Spanish control (Sánchez Doncel, 1991). Under the leadership of Bey Mustapha Bouchelaghem, Algerian forces compelled the surrender of the Spanish garrisons at a time when Spain was unable to dispatch substantial reinforcements owing to its extensive military commitments in Europe (el-Medeni, 1965). The loss represented both a strategic setback and a significant blow to Spanish prestige, as these North African outposts formed an important component of Spain's military and commercial presence in the western Mediterranean (Suárez Fernández, 1984).

Determined to recover the lost territories, King Philip V pursued plans for their reconquest throughout the following decades. Once Spain's position in Italy had stabilised and domestic conditions improved, the Bourbon monarchy assembled the necessary financial, naval, and military resources to launch a major expedition in 1732, one of the largest Mediterranean operations of the eighteenth century (Arbeloa Romá, 1732). Commanded by José Carrillo de Albornoz, Duke of Montemar, the fleet sailed from Alicante on 15 June 1732 (Arbeloa Romá, 1732). Comprising hundreds of transport and war vessels carrying approximately 26,000 troops, it reached the coast near Oran at Las Aguadas on 28 June (Sánchez Doncel, 1991).

The speed and scale of the amphibious landing caught the Algerian defenders by surprise, creating considerable confusion among their ranks (el-Medeni, 1965). Unable to withstand the numerical and logistical superiority of the Spanish expeditionary force, Bey Mustapha Bouchelaghem withdrew into the interior (el-Medeni, 1965). Spanish troops rapidly secured the surrounding fortifications, recaptured Mers el-Kebir on 1 July, and entered Oran on 2 July 1732, thereby restoring Spanish sovereignty over the enclave (Sánchez Doncel, 1991).

Aftermath: The swift success of the campaign was celebrated throughout Spain and much of Catholic Europe, attracting praise from Pope Clement XII (Suárez Fernández, 1984). Before returning to Spain in August 1732, the Duke of Montemar established a permanent garrison of approximately 6,000 troops to secure the recaptured strongholds (Arbeloa Romá, 1732). Spanish rule over Oran subsequently endured for another six decades, until a devastating earthquake and renewed Algerian pressure led to the final evacuation of the city in 1792 (Sánchez Doncel, 1991).

As of June 2026, we couldn’t trace any copies in OCLC or other online data sources.