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Bellatrovata
SPRING IN SPAIN, 2006 CONVENTO DE LA RÁBIDA & CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS Palos de la Frontera, Huelva |
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The little Franciscan Convento de la Rábida* dates from the 1300s, and sits on a hill beside the mouth of the Rio Tinto and the Rio Odiel near Palos de la Frontera, Huelva. The convent has entered the history books because of its links with Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America, but even without this it would be worth visiting.
The Palos area was an obvious choice for Columbus (in Spanish Cristóbal Colón) when he left Portugal, as it was well known for having state of art ship builders and experienced sailors - such as the Pinzón brothers with whom he teamed up. Columbus arrived at the convent in 1485 with his five year old son Diego (his Madieran wife having died), and established an early rapport with the Brother Juan Pérez (a senior state official in a previous life) and Brother Antonio de Marchena (who had a scientific bent and education). Both friars had extensive court contacts, Pérez being a confessor to the Queen, and together they acted as Columbus' merchant banking advisors over the next seven years until the expedition that changed world history set sail from just under the convent in 1492. More when we get stuck into a bit more research .......
The area between the convent hill and the river is a wasteland of monuments contributed (but not looked after) by all nations of the hispanic-american world. Then there they are - full sized replicas of the tiny little boats - the Niña , Pinta , and Santa María - that set out West to go to China (they even had a letter of introduction to the Great Khan).
* For the mendicant orders like the Franciscans, their residencies were called convents (which mainly housed men), and they were known as Friars rather than Monks.
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Bellatrovata and Paradoxplace are the creations of Adrian Fletcher All original material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-07 - The contents may not be reproduced without permission. Feedback and comments to Adrian Fletcher
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