Diego de Arana

Diego de Arana
Born	1468 Harana/Valle de Arana, Spain
Died	1493 La Navidad, Haiti
Nationality	Spanish
Relatives	Beatriz Enríquez de Arana

Diego de Arana (Cordoba, Spain, 1468 - Haiti, 1493) was governor of the first documented Spanish settlement in the New World, at La Navidad.

He was a sailor of Castile who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to America, where Arana was killed by natives.

Arana is described as a native of Córdoba in the journal of Columbus. The History of the Admiral by Ferdinand Columbus says Diego was the son of Rodrigo de Arana. He was a cousin of Beatriz Enriquez de Arana, who was the mistress of Christopher Columbus.

In early 1486, Columbus was living in the court of King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I in Seville, Spain. Columbus was 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 hoped he could reach the Indias by taking advantage of this ocean phenomenon. The monarchs were interested in Columbus's idea but were focused on the war in Granada against the Moors. Columbus was given subsistence and allowed to stay at the monarchs' castle in Cordoba as they thought he might have an idea that would provide riches and spread Christianity. While waiting for a decision and another meeting with the royals, Columbus patronized a local apothecary shop operated by people from Genoa, Italy. Columbus is believed to have come from the Genoa area and associated with doctors, physicians, surgeons, astronomers, scientists and others that also patronized the Genoese pharmacy. There he also became friends with a young Basque man: Diego de Arana.

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