Queen Isabella I of Spain Document - 1498 Patron of Christopher Columbus

ISABELLA I, Queen of Spain (1451-1504) Columbus' appeal to Queen Isabella to finance his planned voyage to the East by sailing west was originally turned down. Then she suddenly changed her mind. As a result, Spain gained a New World. What caused her dramatic turnaround? Historians tell us that it was what the keeper of her private purse told her of "History's Greatest Bargain". To finance Columbus' enterprise would cost no more than a week's royal entertainment for a visiting dignitary. In this document Queen Isabella commands her chamberlain, Sancho de Paredes, to give 2,000 maravedis from the 30,000 received from the treasurer, Gonzalo de Baeza, to Francisco de Hermosilla, and to secure a receipt.

Document signed and dated Granada, August 3, 1498. Queen's signature "Yo la Reyna" is written "by command of the Queen" and signed by her secretary Gaspar de Trizio. Hermosilla has receipted at the bottom of the document.

Columbus' discovery of America rates as one of the most important feats in human history. His country of origin is believed to have been the city of Genoa. Spain, however gave him his fame, and the opportunity to carry out his dreams. Queen Isabella, especially, was instrumental in allowing the explorer the ships, money, and crew to undertake the adventure. This rare piece is a great opportunity to own a document by the woman who accomplished "History's Greatest Bargain". It is far less common to find Isabella documents with a date in the 1490s. Document is much cleaner and crisper than shown in image. Has usual period cancellation cuts.

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