Accordingly Andrea passed into the service of
the King of Aragon, who, having invaded Naples, was giving plenty of
employment to all would-be warriors.
In the record of his early days we find that in the year 1495 he made a
journey to Jerusalem to visit the holy places, and that he then returned to
Italy, where Ferdinand of Aragon was attempting to recover the kingdom of
Naples. "The Great Captain," Gonsalvo de Cordoba, was warring against
Doria's kinsman, Juan Roverejo; this commander had rendered a great service
to the Dorias by rescuing David Doria from imprisonment at Ancona, and
Andrea decided to throw in his lot with him. He accordingly armed
twenty-five cavaliers at his own expense, and joined Roverejo, who put him
in charge of the fortress of Rocca Guillelma. In this place Andrea was
besieged by Gonsalvo de Cordoba, the first warrior of the age; here he
displayed such extraordinary ability in defence that, on the occasion of a
truce, Gonsalvo urged upon Andrea to join the Spaniards. Andrea made answer
that honour bound him to Roverejo, but, could he be released from his
arrangement with him, he might then consider the proposition of "The Great
Captain." Roverejo refused, but, as Charles VIII. immediately afterwards
evacuated Italy, Andrea was free to follow his own inclinations, and took
service with Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan.
From this time onward until 1503 Andrea was constantly employed in war, and
made for himself such a reputation that in this year the Republic of Genoa
requested him to take command of their navy.
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