.
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, 1492while 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.
Cross folds, notations on verso (see image to right), overall,
in remarkable condition, and ideal for framing.
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