María de Toledo

María de Toledo ( * ca 1490, † 1549 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, full name María Álvarez de Toledo y Rojas ), was the wife of Diego Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus and the second viceroy of New Spain.

As the daughter of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, which in turn was the main commander of the troops of León and brother of the second Duke of Alba, Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo, María de Toledo was in the inner radius of the Spanish King and Queen Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. In particular, Christopher Columbus might be the matrimonial alliance of his family very much come to meet with the Spanish nobility, he had determined his son Diego in his will of 1498 for the sole heir of all privileges.

A few months after the appointment of Diego Columbus for the second viceroy of the Spanish colonies in the Americas María moved with her husband to Santo Domingo, where they arrived on July 9, 1509. She was accompanied by an entourage of maids of honor. These and other women of high society gave one of today's boulevards Santo Domingo's her name, Calle Las Damas - here they used to stroll.

Her husband gave birth to María de Toledo six children: Luis, Cristobal, Felipa, María Juana and Isabel. Born in 1522 Luis Columbus should be the later third viceroy of New Spain and heir of his grandfather.

After the death of her husband to María de Toledo took, which was now risen almost self Vice Queen, and was described by her contemporaries as intelligent and energetic woman, family matters and was in the so-called Pleitos Colombinos one of the most vocal advocates of Columbus party. The Pleitos Colombinos it was a series of processes that were conducted from 1508 to 1563 between the Columbus family and the Spanish Crown, and where it was about the restoration of the privileges originally granted in the Capitulaciones de Santa Fe.

1536 ordered that the remains of Christopher Columbus, who had hitherto rested on the express wish of the Carthusian monastery of Santa María de las Cuevas in Seville, as well as those of his brother Diego Columbus, transferred to Santo Domingo and there in the Santa María La Cathedral Menor were buried. However, in 1544 she traveled because of the pending litigation with the Spanish crown to Seville. It is speculated that she could have done on this occasion their bones with them, because later the Andalusian port city took for themselves to claim, final resting place for both the Columbus brothers to be (see also the discussion on the origin of Christopher Columbus ).

1549 died María de Toledo in Santo Domingo. She is buried there in the main chapel of Santa María la Menor Cathedral.