The island of La Gomera has been the scene of stories of love and dislike between important historical figures. One of them tells us that there was a secret romance between Christopher Columbus and the feudal Lady of La Gomera at that time, Doña Beatriz de Bobadilla and Osorio, during the stopovers that the Admiral made in La Gomera to America.
The Admiral's fleet stopped at La Gomera on three occasions, 1492, 1493 and 1498. There he had the important assistance of Dona Beatriz de Bobadilla, Governor of the island of La Gomera, who supplied the fleet of Columbus of everything necessary to continue the journey.
The historical reference of the presumed love dare is placed in the second voyage of Columbus. It was the Italian Miguel de Cuneo, a wealthy bourgeois childhood friend of Christopher Columbus and at the time, official chronicler of the second expedition to America, which left written the text that has unleashed all historical speculations. Cuneo, narrated in a letter, the spectacular reception that the lady of the island of La Gomera gave to them in the second of the trips, with fireworks, etc. A lady, of whom, in the words of Cuneo, "Lord Admiral was kindled in love in other times."
But, who was Beatriz de Bobadilla and how did she become Governor of La Gomera? Beatriz de Bobadilla was a very beautiful woman, with character, hard, enamoradiza and fiery, capable of unpredictable and violent reactions, and who used her charms to get what interested him in political matters, earning himself the nickname of the "Huntress".
Niece of another famous Beatriz de Bobadilla, marquesa de Moya, counselor and companion of Queen Isabel Católica, the young Beatriz frequented the court of the Catholic Kings where her beauty did not go unnoticed. Even the king himself commented, he was in love with her beauty. Although there is no convincing evidence that such admiration went further, Queen Elizabeth, a savant of danger, removed her from the court by quickly marrying her with Hernan Peraza (son), governor of La Gomera. In this way the beautiful Beatriz left to its banishment in the Canary Islands, considered at that time like the end of the world.
She was widowed at the age of 22, from the dictatorial Hernán Peraza (son) murdered in a rebellion, becoming Lady and Governor of the island of La Gomera on behalf of her young son, Guillén. After the murder of her husband, Beatriz de Bobadilla carried out a cruel revenge in order to exterminate the aborigines of the island. His policy of repression at that time, earned him the nickname of "Bloody Lady." It is then, in his years of maximum power, that Christopher Columbus appeared in his life. The prestige of many historians supports the existence of a relationship between this one and the "Huntress".
On the third voyage to La Gomera, Columbus was surprised by the successful marriage of Doña Beatriz to the Adelantado de Canarias Don Alonso Fernández de Lugo. With this new marriage, she went from being Lady of La Gomera to Lady of the Canary Islands. Perhaps for this reason, on his third voyage to America Columbus only stayed on the island three days, just enough to feed.
Some historians have wondered whether the admiral's scales in La Gomera were due to this love affair, or were they really necessary to move the Atlantic towards the New World. Seafarers claim to have done the right thing.
When you come to La Gomera you will be able to discover the numerous historical traces such as Torre del Conde and you can situate in places the history in first person. We will wait for you!