Unearthing the Garden of Hernando Colón (1488-1539)

Abstract

Hernando Colón, second son to Christopher Columbus, was not only an outstanding book collector but also the devisor of an ambitious garden, the Huerta de Goles, where he grew endemic New World trees and plants. His pioneering botanical enterprises were well known among his contemporaries, and they became a model to follow for subsequent generations of Spanish botanists. This article analyses what is known about Hernando’s magnificent garden project by considering various sources, from legal documents to contemporary literary accounts, and sheds light on his botanic endeavours by connecting them to his universal library, thereby understanding the indivisibility of libraries and gardens in the imaginations of early modern authors and scientists.