Number 2

The House of Ferdinand: the Crown of Aragon

The House of King Ferdinand II of Aragón, Lord of the Mediterranean. A king who inherited a great legacy from his predecessors throughout his lifetime, inheriting and improving alliances for his own personal interest, Crown and House.  With his gaze fixed on the Kingdom of Castilla, he saw his wishes realized through the union with his wife to be (and even more so when he eventually became widowed from her).

 This tower is topped with a golden dome (in Byzantine and Gothic style), simulating a Jewish synagogue that at its highest point displays the Star of David, and below this candles, symbols representing the Old and New Testament (Alpha – Omega), and the ancient name of God (Elah) written in Hebrew, just the way Ezra liked it. This is where the theory of Christopher Columbus being Jewish originated. The suspicion that Christopher Columbus had Jewish blood in his veins has a solid base upon reading his writings, and he may even have received some Jewish teachings during his childhood, but Christopher Columbus was known to be a strict Catholic and very God fearing, as his writings prove and from the way his contemporaries viewed him. This gives credence to his extreme Christian religious faith and attitude that caused many to suffer.

 It was thus, according to Dr Martin, that Christopher Columbus came into the world, under the Mediterranean dominions of this historical medieval crown. This monument is based on the idea of rejecting Christopher Columbus Fontanarossa as signatory to the Capitulations of Santa Fe.  The theory of a Cristobal Colom from Mallorca of Jewish descent caused Dr Martin to dedicate this entire monument to him. (It’s an old theory, apparently full of convincing arguments, but making it impossible to verify). A similar problem occurs with the classic Genoese Christopher Columbus when documents kept in different archives are crossed (and because of this there are so many theories regarding his origins). We are always reminded by his handwriting that he was a foreigner when he came into the service of the Royals, prior to signing the Capitulations of Santa Fe, and soon after signing this contract by which he was to became subject and vassal.