Beatriz Enriquez de Arana
| Beatriz Enríquez de Arana | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1467 Santa María de Trassierra (near Cordoba, Spain) |
| Died | 1536 (aged 68–69) Santa María de Trassierra (near Cordoba, Spain) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Partner(s) | Mistress of Christopher Columbus |
| Children | Ferdinand Columbus |
Beatriz Enríquez de Arana (1467–1536) was the mistress of Christopher Columbus and mother of Ferdinand Columbus, Columbus's natural son, whom he recognized.
Beatriz was born in the small village of Santa Maria of Trassierra (near Córdoba) in a family of peasant farmers and small share holders. She was from a noble family of Córdoba, Spain. She had two brothers.
According to historian Rafael Ramírez de Arellano, her father or stepfather was Pedro de Torquemada of converso origin and her mother was Ana Núñez de Arana. In his history of Cordoba he explains that she and her brother Peter took the name of their maternal aunt Mayor Enríquez de Arana. She was one of the relatives who took them in (with possibly Francisco Enriquez de Arana, a wine maker) when they became orphaned in 1471. The Núñez de Arana families were small landholders of modest means. Beatriz knew how to read and write, an unusual thing at the time. This indicates she had at least some social status. Most historians agree, though, that the lower social status of Beatriz is the reason why Columbus never married her. He had aspired to come across someone of higher social status to help benefit his ventures.
The history of the relationship of Beatriz and Columbus starts with the reason why Christopher Columbus was in Córdoba in 1487 at the Spanish monarchs' Alcazar. In 1479 Columbus had traveled to Lisbon, to see his brother and to conduct trade. There he met his first wife Filipa Moniz and married about 1479 or 1480. They had a son named Diego. Columbus' first wife died in 1484, according to some historians, and he became a widower; other historians say he simply walked out on her and took their child, then around five years old, and moved from Lisbon to Spain.
In early 1486, Columbus was living in the court of the Spanish monarchs, King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I in Seville, Spain. Columbus was there trying to convince them to finance his "Enterprise of the Indies" — a far-reaching expedition to reach the east by going west. Columbus had knowledge of the Canaries Current and was hoping he could reach the Indias by taking advantage of this ocean phenomenon. The Spanish monarchs were preoccupied at the time trying to unify Spain. They were interested in Columbus's idea but couldn't give it their full attention while the war in Granada was going on against the Moors. Meanwhile, Columbus was given subsistence and allowed to stay at the monarchs' castle in Cordoba since they thought he might have a good idea that would provide future riches and spread Christianity.
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