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At a time when Europe still eyed the unknown seas, a restless sailor named Cristóbal finds refuge in the modest walls of the Convent of La Rábida. There he encounters the fervent friar Juan Pérez, whose belief that the New World could spread the Catholic faith ignites a lively debate with the learned physician Garci‑Fernández and the seasoned navigator Martín Alonso Pinzón. Together they blend theological hope, scientific curiosity and practical seamanship, creating a coalition that begins to turn a wild dream into a plausible venture.
The convent becomes a hub of whispered plans and hurried letters. With the backing of influential courtiers such as Luis de Santángel and the cautious interest of Queen Isabella, Columbus secures modest funds and a promise of royal patronage, while the Pinzón brothers draft petitions that stress the strategic value of a westward route. These early negotiations set the stage for an expedition that could reshape the map, yet the story leaves the outcome still hanging in anticipation.
Language
es
Duration
~2 hours (151K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Spain: Rafael Caro Raggio, 1920.
Credits
Adrian Mastronardi, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2022-09-28
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
b. 1878
Best known for early 20th-century Spanish historical works, this writer turned major episodes of exploration into vivid narrative. His surviving books focus on the people and ideas behind voyages that reshaped the Atlantic world.
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