This collection brings together for the first time twenty-five handwritten documents by Isabella the Catholic. The documents, arranged chronologically, are today preserved in various public and private institutions in Spain and abroad.
The Evolution of Isabella's Signature
To understand such a complex figure as the Catholic Queen, it is necessary to delve into her intimacy, and the autograph documents gathered in this collection precisely offer this opportunity. In these documents, indeed, it is the handwriting of Isabella herself that speaks, writing with care, confidence, speed, and firmness, like a woman accustomed to reading (her personal library was very important) and frequently using the pen. Equally interesting is to follow the evolution of her signature, which starts humbly with La Ynfante (The Infante), rises with Yo, la Prinçesa (I, the Princess), elevates further with Yo, la Prinçesa y Reyna (I, the Princess and Queen), and finally asserts imperiously with Yo, la Reyna (I, the Queen), starting from December 13, 1474.
Letters to Her Husband Fernando
The occasion for writing is also significant. The fact that some letters addressed to Don Fernando are preserved in Isabella's correspondence clearly reveals both the adoration she felt for him and the firmness of her political commitment, allowing her to resolve a wide range of issues when her duties as queen forced her to be separated from her husband. Of particular relevance is the Memorial de las cosas que tenía que despachar con sus secretarios, a kind of agenda for decision-making.
We have 1 facsimile edition of the manuscript "Autograph Documents by Isabella the Catholic (Collection)": De mi mano. Autógrafos de Isabel la Católica facsimile edition, published by Taberna Libraria, 2024
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