Spanish monarchs best known as the sponsors and patrons of Christopher Columbus. Manuscript DS, in Spanish, signed “Yo el Rey [I the King]” by Ferdinand and “Yo el Reyna [I the Queen]” by Isabella, one page, 11.75 x 8.5, May 28, 1501. Document reads [loosely translated] “Don Fernando and Dona Isabel by the grace of God King and Queen of Castille, Leon, Aragon, Sicily, Granada, Toledo, Valencia, Galicia, the Mallorcas, Seville, Cerdina, Cordova, Tortosa, Murcia, Jaen, the Algarbe, Algeciras, Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, Count and countess of Barcelona and Lords of Bizcaya and Molina, Dukes of A…senas, of Neopatria, Counts of Borelo[?] and Cerdania, Marquesses of Oriscan and of Soriano.
By the present, as we can best [do] by right, we give full power to you the licentiate Don Hernando of our treasury and of our council—and to that by us and in our name, by virtue of the grace[?] of the donation made to us by the very Reverend and Holy [?] Don Fray Fernando of Talavera First Archibishop of the Holy Church of Granada and our counselor[?] of the principal houses that are considered to belong[?] to the dwelling of the Royal Abbatial See of Granada with all the other houses and gardens that are near them, and with everything that belongs to them [or] more generally[?] that is contained in them. You may take maintain, and defend the watch[?] door of the said principal houses, of the other said houses and gardens next to them, which the said Archbishop owned, and with all that belongs to them in any way, and make concerning them any acts and procedures and deal with laws an statues[?] connected with them[?]. Now[?] and over all this we give you power, with all its intendencies, dependencies, emergences, annexes, and connections. And we promise to have for firm and binding and forever that which [is given to] you; so let it be done concerning what is said and what we order by this present Made in the much honored and great Abbey of Granada, the twenty-eighth day of the month of May, year of the birth of our Savior Jesus Chris one thousand five hundred one. I Gaspar de Milio Secretary of the King and of the Queen our Lords made this ramy [?] and by his order.” Document is affixed to a slightly larger sheet. In very good condition, with central horizontal and vertical fold (a small spot of paper loss at intersection of folds), scattered edge wear, staining to right edge, small pencil notation, and scattered mild toning, soiling, and foxing.
Don Fernando de Talavera, first Archbishop of Granada and the gentleman being thanked here for his donation by the Spanish royals, was clearly generous with his money. In 1496, he also paid for the first printing of ‘Life of Christ,’ a tome co-written by Cardinal Fray Francisco Ximenes. Great association with Columbus less than a decade after his historic journey. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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