Lt-Col. Nicolas de Oliver Fullana I

Een uitermate intrigerend persoon, lt. Colonel Fullana: hij was een marron, een bekeerde Jood die als militair in dienst trad van de Spaanse koning, naar Brussel vertrok en in 1672 in Staatse dienst kwam. Boven de eerste drie pagina's van pamflet 10517 Knottel, uit de KB waarin per brief zijn wetenswaardigheden iit het einde van het jaar 1672 zijn opgetekend.

Naar eigen zeggen was Fullana de eerste Spanjaard in een hoge functie bij het Staatse leger en dit was in het regiment van Kolonel Alexander Colins d'Aheree. Een echte vechtjas ook die ook in de chaos in de waterlinie zijn hoofd er bij hield, wat niet van zijn collega Moise Pain et Vin, die ook genoemd wordt, gezegd kan worden.

Fullana kende Spinoza, en bekeerde zich later weer tot het Jodendom.


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A fascinating person, the writer (?) of pamphlet Knottel 10517, Dutch Royal Library, Spanish Lt-Colonel Fullana. Here's a short description from the online jewish encyclopdia:

Chartographer. born on the island of Majorca; lived there as "Capitan" or "Cavallero Mallorquin" as late as 1650. On Oct. 1 of that year he wrote a Latin epigram of eight lines to Vicente Mut's "Historia del Reyno de Mallorca." Fullana went to Brussels, where he entered the Dutch army as colonel, subsequently fighting against France. At Amsterdam he openly espoused Judaism, taking the name of "Daniel Judah." After the death of his wife, Johanna, he married Isabella Correa. According to the testimony of Thomas de Pinedo, "litteris et astrologia eruditus," Fullana was cosmographer to His Catholic Majesty in 1680 and had written excellent cosmographical works. He edited Blaew's "Atlas del Mundo," to which he also contributed. Fullana eulogized the "Coro de las Musas" of his friend D. L. de Barrios in a poem, and a drama of Joseph Penso in a Portuguese and Latin poem.


In 1672 Fullana joined the States Army in the regiment of Alexander Colins d'Aheree. In Spanish service, he joined the Army in 1640 and was promoted to Sergeant Major in 1652- the equivalent of Lt-Colonel. He specialised in fortifications, took part in several sieges en left for the Low Countries in 1670. In 1672 his company moved to Amsterdam where he was ordered to man the Uithoorn fortress. In the dutch water defense line near Waverveen, he commanded 7 companies and a "uitlegger", a gun boat, but his troops were to far spread out to make an effective defense and risking being cut off, he retired to Uithoorn again. He was ordered by Maurice of Nassau on the 9th of November to retire to Bodegraven.

Fullana did want to fight but some of his companies were taken over by other regiments. Commander Konigsmarck apologised to Fullana in his letter from the 10th of November 1672 (written in dutch and Italian!) about the order to retreat and ordered Fullana to stay at the Uithoorn. Fullana then gave over command. A wise move: the same situation happened to Col. Moise Pain et Vin who retreated to the wrong place, which aosted him his head...