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Ferdinand V of Castile. (1452-1516), King of Sicily (1468--1516), and Isabella I. (1451-1504). Queen of Castile. (from 1474) and of Aragon (from 1481) by marriage to the future Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1469. Their marriage unified Christian Spain. By legend she financed the Columbus Expedition to find the new world in 1492 by selling her jewels. Isabella was granted the title "The Catholic" by Pope Alexander VI.

Superb Manuscript Document Signed by both as "Yo EI Rey" (I The King) and "Yo EI Reyna" (I The Queen), in Spanish, one page, small quarto, on vellum, Zaragoza, September 15, 1492—while Christopher Columbus was on his voyage to the new world! This is a Royal directive of the King and Queen to the commander in Navarre. Both Ferdinand and Isabella were direct descendants of earlier rulers of Navarre, a small Kingdom in the Pyrenees then being contested between the Spanish and French. It was annexed to Ferdinand's empire in 1512. The directive reads in part:

 

"Don Juan de Ribera their Commander in Chief of the frontiers of Navarre we have given orders concerning matters relating to San Sebastian and especially as regards the provost and goal of the said town, as you will see by our letters in which we command you, for our service, to repair to the said town, and carry into execution the orders we give you in this matter, and to work for the establishment of the said town and its residents in peace and concord, as benefits our service, Zaragoza, 1492 September 15".

"Yo EI Rey" "Yo EI Reyna"

Ferdinand and Isabella initiated the chain of events that would lead to the Golden Age of Spanish imperialism. As a legacy of this empire, Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world after Mandarin, Hindi, and English. Documents signed by Ferdinand and Isabella are exceptionally scarce. They and this piece represent an epoch in discovery and exploration that would not be matched until the Apollo missions centuries later. This is the first we have seen while Columbus was not only on his voyage to the America's but just about three weeks from sighting land. Truly a magnificent piece of history and the cornerstone of any collection in the genre of exploration and discovery. Crossfolds, notations on verso, overall, in remarkable condition, and ideal for framing. Please contact us for price information.