Alonso Pita da Veiga Alonso Pita da Veiga , born in Ferrol in 15th century Galicia , Spain , was one of the most remarkable officers of the Spanish Tercios fighting under the orders of Count Fernando de Andrade in the Battle of Pavia ( Italy ) , and in other battles of the Italian Wars between the years 1513 - 1525 . He was granted the right to display a coat of arms , and was granted land and property in Ferrolterra , his birthplace , for having participated in the capture , on the battlefield , of the king of France , Francis I . The decree granting a coat of arms to Alonso Pita da Veiga , was archived at the General Archive of Simanca ( Archivo general de Simancas , legajo 388 , rotulado de " Mercedes y Privilegios . ’ ) and was issued by Emperor Charles V on 24 July 1529 , four years after the Battle of Pavia . A verbatim text of the decree can be found in , among other 19th Century Spanish books , in the book , " Crisol historico espanol y restauracion de glorias nacionales " , published in Havana , Cuba in 1862 by the Spanish historian José Ferrer de Couto . A summary of the document , in English translation , gives the following details : " Alonso Pita da Veiga , Galician , and our vassal " served his majesty well in several battles including the Battle of Bicencio and the Battle of Vicoca . In regards to the Battle of Pavia , the decree states that Alonso Pita da Veiga recaptured the standard " . . . of His Most Serene Infante Don Fernando , who is now King of Hungary , Our most dear and loved son and brother , which bore the insignia of Our Duchy of Burgundy , which the French had taken when the standard - bearer was killed ” . This refers to the standard of Ferdinand , the brother of Charles V , whose troops fought at Pravia . For this action , Alonso Pita da Veiga was awarded 600 gold ducats . In regards to the capture of King Francis I of France , the decree states " and in the same battle , you accomplished so much that you reached the person of said King ( Francis I of France ) and captured him , jointly with the other persons that captured him . ” So , in effect , Charles V credited a group of individuals , and not a single individual , with the capture of King Francis I . For that action , Alonso Pita da Veiga was awarded the sum of 30 , 0000 maravedís per year , for life , " above and beyond your pay as an ' hombre de arma ' " . " Hombre de arms " was a term used in that era to signify a mounted warrior as opposed to a foot soldier . The decree states that Alonso Pita da Veiga took from Francis I of France the following : " and you took from him his left gauntlet and a brocade decorated with four crosses of silver cloth and a crucifix made of the True Cross , of which events the same King of France gave testimony in a document signed by his own hand . " The decree then awards Alonso Pita da Veiga a coat of arms , described in the decree , that incorporates the different elements of his deeds at the Battle of Pavia : “ A coat of arms , quarted , the first quarter colored the color of blood and in it a gauntlet as a symbol that you took said King of France , and a royal Crown of gold above of said gauntlet ; and in the lower quarter , a blue field with three gold fleur - de - lis which are the true arms of the Kings of France ; and in the right quarter with the field colored as the superior quarter and in it the brocade decorated with its crosses ; and the left quarter , likewise colored , and in it the said standard of the Most Serene King of Hungary with the arms of Our Duchy of Burgundy . ”