Autograph Documents by Isabella the Catholic (Collection)

The collection Autograph Documents by Isabella the Catholic (1451–1504) brings together 25 handwritten papers by the educated, pious, and highly ambitious Queen of Castile, León, and Aragón. The chronologically arranged documents from various public and private collections in Spain and the Vatican Apostolic Archives include political files as well as personal notes and letters to her husband Ferdinand the Catholic (1452–1516). Thus, the fascinating collection offers a unique opportunity to gain a direct impression of the personality of this impressive late medieval woman, under whose ruthless leadership Spain became a global empire. As the documents cover a period of 32 years, her personal development and changing self-image are particularly good to follow and are reflected, for example, in the evolution of her signature – from infanta (“La Ynfante”) to princess (“Yo, la Prinçesa”) to the powerful Spanish queen (“Yo, la Reyna”).