For the order of knighthood of the Two Sicilies, see Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit.

The Royal and Military Order of Saint Ferdinand , commonly known as Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand , is Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

's highest military award for gallantry. It is awarded in recognition of action, either individual or collective, to protect the nation, its citizens or the peace and security of the international community in the face of immediate risk to the bearer or bearers' life or lives. Those eligible are current and former members of the Spanish Armed Forces

Spanish Armed Forces

The Spanish Armed Forces are the military forces of the Kingdom of Spain. The Spanish Armed Forces are a modern military force charged with defending the Kingdom's integrity and sovereignty...

.

Among the conditions laid out by the Royal Military Order of Saint Ferdinand for the granting of the award are:

• that the sole purpose of the action taken wasn't the saving of life;
• that, as far as possible, the damage and number of casualties caused by the action was minimized;
• that the action was taken in the face of significant odds or other detrimental factors;
• that the action taken made a crucial difference to the situation in which it occurred.

The Royal Military Order of Saint Ferdinand was set up the Cádiz Cortes

Cádiz Cortes

The Cádiz Cortes were sessions of the national legislative body which met in the safe haven of Cádiz during the French occupation of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars...

 in 1811 to honour heroic feats of arms. Its awardees include Juan Prim

Juan Prim

Don Juan or Joan Prim, Marquis of los Castillejos, Grandee of Spain, Count of Reus, Viscount of the Bruch was a Spanish general and statesman.-Life:...

, Juan de la Cruz Mourgeón

Juan de la Cruz Mourgeón

Juan de la Cruz Mourgeón y Achet was a Spanish general and colonial administrator. He fought in the Spanish War of Independence against the French, and in the Viceroyalty of New Granada against rebels supporting independence...

, Francisco de Albear

Francisco de Albear

Francisco de Albear y Fernández de Lara was a Cuban engineer.Son of colonel Francisco de Albear y Hernández, governor of the Morro Castle of Havana he was sent to study in Spain and graduated in 1839 from the Military Engineering School of Guadalajara, Spain, with the rank of lieutenant...

, José Enrique Varela Iglesias, Francisco Serrano y Domínguez

Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, Duke de la Torre

Don Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, 1st Duke of la Torre Grandee of Spain, Count of San Antonio was a Spanish marshal and statesman...

 and Frederick Thomas Pelham

Frederick Thomas Pelham

Rear Admiral Frederick Thomas Pelham CB was an Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Naval Lord.-Naval career:...

.

External links

• http://www.boe.es/g/es/bases_datos/doc.php?coleccion=iberlex&id=2001/15950
• http://www.jeanpaulleblanc.com/Spain.htm