Capitulations of Santa Fe
Encyclopedia
The Capitulations of Santa Fe between Christopher Columbus
and the Catholic Monarchs
were signed in Santa Fe, Granada
on April 17, 1492. They granted Columbus the titles of Admiral
of the Ocean Sea, the Viceroy
, the Governor-General
and honorific Don
, and also the tenth part of all riches to be obtained from his intended voyage. The document followed a standard form in 15th-century Castile
with specific points arranged in chapters (capítulos). Although not a formal agreement, the capitulations resulted from negotiation.
When Columbus' proposal was initially rejected, Isabella I of Castile
convoked another assembly, made up from sailors, philosophers, astrologers and others to reexamine the project. The experts considered absurd the distances between Spain and the Indies that Columbus calculated. The monarchs also became doubting, but a group of influential courtiers convinced them that they would lose little if the project failed and would gain much if it succeeded. Among those advisors were the Archbishop of Toledo Hernando de Talavera
, the notary Luis de Santángel and the chamberlain Juan Cabrero. The royal secretary Juan de Coloma was ordered to formulate the capitulations. The agreement took three months to prepare because the monarchs were busy with other matters. The capitulations were sealed at the Santa Fe encampment, on the outskirts of a besieged Granada
.
The original version has not survived. The earliest surviving copy is contained in the confirmations issued by the Crown in Barcelona
in 1493. The omission of the word 'Asia' has led some historians to suggest that Columbus never intended to go there, but only to discover the new lands. In 2009 the Santa Fe Capitulations were inscribed on UNESCO
’s Memory of the World Register.
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
and the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
were signed in Santa Fe, Granada
Santa Fe, Granada
Santa Fe is a Spanish municipality in the province of Granada, situated in the Vega de Granada, irrigated by the river Genil.The town was originally built by the Catholic armies besieging Granada after a fire destroyed much of their encampment....
on April 17, 1492. They granted Columbus the titles of Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
of the Ocean Sea, the Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
, the Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
and honorific Don
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
, and also the tenth part of all riches to be obtained from his intended voyage. The document followed a standard form in 15th-century Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
with specific points arranged in chapters (capítulos). Although not a formal agreement, the capitulations resulted from negotiation.
When Columbus' proposal was initially rejected, Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
convoked another assembly, made up from sailors, philosophers, astrologers and others to reexamine the project. The experts considered absurd the distances between Spain and the Indies that Columbus calculated. The monarchs also became doubting, but a group of influential courtiers convinced them that they would lose little if the project failed and would gain much if it succeeded. Among those advisors were the Archbishop of Toledo Hernando de Talavera
Hernando de Talavera
Hernando de Talavera, , a Spanish Converso origins monk of the Order of Saint Hyeronimus since about 1458, a University graduate in Theology from Salamanca University, a prior of the Monastery of Prado, near Valladolid, Royal Confessor of regnant Queen on her own rights Isabel I of Castile, , , a...
, the notary Luis de Santángel and the chamberlain Juan Cabrero. The royal secretary Juan de Coloma was ordered to formulate the capitulations. The agreement took three months to prepare because the monarchs were busy with other matters. The capitulations were sealed at the Santa Fe encampment, on the outskirts of a besieged Granada
Battle of Granada
The Battle of Granada was a siege of the city of Granada fought over a period of months leading up to its surrender on January 2, 1492. The city was captured by the combined forces of Aragon and Castile from the armies of the Muslim Emirate of Granada...
.
The original version has not survived. The earliest surviving copy is contained in the confirmations issued by the Crown in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in 1493. The omission of the word 'Asia' has led some historians to suggest that Columbus never intended to go there, but only to discover the new lands. In 2009 the Santa Fe Capitulations were inscribed on UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
’s Memory of the World Register.
See also
- Treaty of AlcáçovasTreaty of AlcaçovasThe Treaty of Alcáçovas put an end to the War of the Castilian Succession in favor of Isabella I of Castile, and confirmed Castilian control of the Canary Islands and Portuguese control of the Madeira , Azores and Cape Verde islands , all in the Atlantic Ocean The Treaty of Alcáçovas (also known...
- Inter caeteraInter caeteraInter caetera was a papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VI on , which granted to Spain all lands to the "west and south" of a pole-to-pole line 100 leagues west and south of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands.It remains unclear to the present whether the pope was issuing a...
- Pleitos colombinosPleitos colombinosThe Pleitos colombinos were a long series of lawsuits that the heirs of Christopher Columbus brought against the Crown of Castile and León in defense of the privileges obtained by Columbus for his discoveries in the New World...
- Alice Bache GouldAlice Bache GouldAlice Bache Gould was a prominent American historian. She studied mostly Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella I of Castile...