The "Spanish Road" was a military supply/trade route used from 1567–1620, which stretched from Northern Italy to the Low Countries. It crossed through relatively neutral territory, and was therefore Europe's most preferred military route. In the days of its use it was known in French as "le chemin des Espagnols".
Soldiers were able to march the 1,000 km (620 mi) from Milan to Flanders an average of 23 km (14 mi) a day. Sea transport was much faster, able to cover about 200 kilometers (120 mi) a day, but was highly exposed to storms and enemy attacks. For large groups, overland communication was more reliable, allowing the Spanish to send over 123,000 men compared to only 17,600 by sea, between 1567 and 1620.
Read more about Spanish Road: Necessity, Establishment, Utilization, Effects, Fall, Recorded Expeditions, See Also
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“Ferdinand De Soto, sleeping
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Four-and-twenty Spanish hooves
Fling off their iron and cut the green,
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While overhead the wing-tips whirred.”
—Mark Van Doren (1894–1973)
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