Did Isabel ‘la Católica’ have an ‘affair’ with Christopher Columbus?

Isabel ‘la Católica’ -who died on a day like today, but in 1504- should not have been the monarch of the kingdom of Castile. On the death of her father, Juan II, her brother Enrique ‘the Impotent’ assumed the throne, while she was sent with her mother to what is now Valladolid.

But Enrique was a victim of the political problems of the time. Thus, he was humiliated by the nobles and forced, if he wanted them to let him rule, to elect Isabel as its legitimate successor. He accepted.

In much the usual way, what followed for the future queen was to get a husband. the chosen one was Ferdinandson of John II of Aragon and Navarre. Both would become Catholic kings, despite the fact that the dad opposed their union.

Why?

According to National Geographic, Elizabeth and Ferdinand “they were great-grandchildren of John I of Castile Y Eleanor of Aragonwhich made them cousins” distant. As the Pope Paul II did not want to sign the bull to allow their marriage, from Aragon they decided to falsify one that “allowed marriage between cousins ​​up to the third degree”, and attribute it to the predecessor Pius II.

After getting married, the deception became known. And it wasn’t until he Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia was sent by him Pope Sixtus IV, which finally consolidated the union. The Borgia -who would later become Pope-, asked them in return that “granted him the city of Gandía and the title of duke to his eldest son, Pedro Luis Borgia”.

The Bull of Salamanca consolidated the marriage.

sneaky romance

The marriage between Isabel and Fernando, says Nat Geo, made their nations leave the Middle Ages and transition to the Modern age. During his tenure, Jews were expelled and the “Spanish empire of the 16th and 17th centuries”, also, for the Capitulation of Santa Fewhich gave to Christopher Columbus the resources to find a new route to the Indies.

And finally, the discovery of America.

There was not much debate about the relationship between the queen and Columbus until 2012, when Georgetown University professor Estelle Irizarryrevealed information that changed the paradigm.

His theory is based on a letter of 1501 that “It is preserved in the Simancas archive (Valladolid)says “ABC”. In an interview with EFE, Irizarry stated: “The letter was written by Columbus, although we do not know for sure if it reached its addressee.”.

And what does the letter say?

The phrase of the controversy is: “The keys of my will I gave them in Barcelona”.

According to the researcher, these words “have an erotic connotation, specifically the figure of the keys as a tool that penetrates and allows the opening”.

Furthermore, Columbus does not write to the royal couple, but only to the queen, whom he calls “Cristianísima”, and to whom he says: “I am constantly thinking about your rest”.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.