Maria de Toledo

María de Toledo (* approx. 1490 ; † 1549 in Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic , full name María Álvarez de Toledo y Rojas ), was the wife of Diego Columbus , son of Christopher Columbus and second viceroy of New Spain .

As the daughter of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, who in turn was the main commanding officer of León's troops and brother of the second Duke of Alba , Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo , María de Toledo belonged to the closest circle of the Spanish royal couple, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon . In particular, Christopher Columbus is likely to have been very accommodating of his family's marital connection with the Spanish nobility, as he had designated his son Diego as the sole heir of all privileges in the will of 1498.

A few months after the appointment of Diego Columbus as the second viceroy of the Spanish colonies in America, María moved with her husband to Santo Domingo , where she arrived on July 9, 1509 . She was accompanied by an entourage of ladies-in-waiting . These and other women of high society gave their name to one of today's boulevards of Santo Domingo, the Calle Las Damas - they used to stroll here.

María de Toledo gave birth to her husband six children: Luis, Cristóbal, Felipa, María, Juana and Isabel. The 1522 -born Luis Columbus should be 1540 captain-general of Santo Domingo and heir of his grandfather.

After the death of her husband, María de Toledo, who had now practically risen to become viceroy herself and was described by her contemporaries as a clever and energetic woman, took on family matters and became one of the most vehement advocates of the Columbus at the so-called Pleitos Colombinos . Political party. The Pleitos Colombinos were a series of lawsuits that took place between the Columbus family and the Spanish Crown from 1508 to 1563, aimed at restoring the privileges originally granted in the Capitulaciones de Santa Fe .

In 1536 she decreed that the remains of Christopher Columbus, which had been resting in the Carthusian monastery of Santa María de las Cuevas in Seville at his express request , as well as those of his brother Diego Columbus , were transferred to Santo Domingo and there in the Cathedral of Santa María La Menor were buried. In 1544, however, she traveled to Seville because of the pending legal disputes with the Spanish crown. It is speculated that she could have carried their bones with her on this occasion, as the Andalusian port city later also claimed to be the final resting place for the two Columbus brothers (see also the discussion on the origin of Christopher Columbus ) .

María de Toledo died in Santo Domingo in 1549. She is buried there in the main chapel of the Cathedral of Santa María La Menor .

Web links

• Entry on María de Toledo in the Spanish edition of MSN Encarta (Spanish)