Portuguese Memorial

A glimpse into the colonial era that was lost for centuries is provided by this contemporary document from 1494: in it, a Portuguese nobleman wrote to Queen Isabella of Castile (1451-1504), urging her to send expeditions to Africa instead of the Indies. This important letter lay unnoticed in the Archivo General of the Castilian city of Simancas since the 16th century until it was discovered by Professor Itsvan Szaszdi León-Borja of the University of Valladolid and Professor Katalin Klimes-Szmik of the University of Budapest. They are the co-authors of the study and the transcription included in the companion volume.