Ferdinand and Isabella; Fernand Aluares, Secretarius

Following their marriage in 1469, Ferdinand of Aragon [1452-1516] and Isabella of Castille [1451-1504] ruled Spain jointly, adding the kingdom of Granada to their territory in 1492.

In his analysis of the historical context of this letter (MS 389) from Ferdinand and Isabella, author Isidoro Montiel writes:

"This letter was written in a most significant year in the history of Spain, 1492, the year that Granada fell to Spain (January 2, 1492), Columbus discovered the New World (October 12, 1492), the Jews were expelled from Spain (July 31, 1492), and Elio Antonia de Nebrija published the first Gramatic de la Lengua Castellana (Salamanca, August, 18, 1492). It is most interesting that the letter relates to the previous arrangements for the conquest of Navarre, an important war undertaken by the joint sovereignty of Ferdinand and Isabella. At that time Navarre was in revolt because of the explosive fighting between Agramonteses and Beamonteses. In this connection the royal pair wrote several letters to Don Juan de Ribera, commander of Spanish troops on the border between Castille and Navarre. These letters are preserved in Spanish Archives, mainly in the National Historical Archives, Madrid, Simancas, Navarre, Seville, and others." (Montiel, 1971).