Hernándo de Zafra, cortesano y hombre de empresa de los Reyes Católicos
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Show full item recordAuthor
Garzón Pareja, ManuelEditorial
Universidad de Granada
Materia
Hernando de Zafra Historia Granada (España) Siglo XV
Date
1975Referencia bibliográfica
Garzón Pareja, M. Hernándo de Zafra, cortesano y hombre de empresa de los Reyes Católicos. Cuadernos de Estudios Medievales y Ciencias y Técnicas Historiográficas, 2-3: 127-147 (1974-75). [http://hdl.handle.net/10481/30089]
Abstract
Hernando de Zafra was secretary and a very important
person in the court of the Catholic Kings, whose origin, as
Fernández de Oviedo says, is very humble. Zafra's fame
and fortune were his participation in the agreement for the
delivery of the city of Granada, and, the commission that
the Kings confided him te rule this city since its conquest
in 1492 to 1507, when he died.
The ability and secret of the business men were complete,
and these texts about the capitulations have been kept.
Garrido de Atienza has published a series of these documents
in 1910; there are rough copies of letters sent to Boabdil and
the nobles of Granada by the Kings; and to the Moslem
business Men by Hernando de Zafra.
Most of these documents have not date but their record
is quite certain. I have completed this information with some
documents that I founded in the Archive of the Real
Chancillería of Granada, where the will and all the scripts
about rent are.
The Catholic Kings looked for their collaborators with
a great sense of touch, it was a success in the case of
Hernando de Zafra; it was not strange that ithe tread of a
very good administrator would be in his country house.
When he was born he did not have anything, but when he died, as the testament shows us, he had an immense
fortune. But, the royal grants did not contribute to it, it was
just his own
The Catholic Kings gave him the fortress of Castril in
1490, beside it, a village will grow and an excellent factory
of glass will be created, which will become very
famous.
We can see him taking part in the building of a
"ba- tan", a very important industry in Granada. The
other scripts about the lease of different properties —
fundamentally ovens and mills—, although his only one son
did them, are inspired in the economic criterion of
Hernando de Zafra. Al his properties were spread when he
died, in spite of his will.
Hernando de Zafra made his testament in April, 12,
1507, in Granada, and it was opened the same year, in
May, 28. And, he arranged that his natural son, Hernando
Sánchez de Zafra, would be heir alter his mother's death.
And, if the legitimation would not be enough, his nephew,
Francisco de Zafra, would heir a great part, and so Tejutor,
Aranales and Fiñana, would be for his son.
The testament is a long series of legacies, and he does
not forget neither his relatives nor his :servants and providers,
nor the convent which he founded, and where he
was buried.
A curious point wh.ich shows us that he was a wealthy
man is when he arranges that while his wife and son are
coming, the expensives of both houses were paid for the
"mayorazgo", and they would divide the rest in two parts:
one for the increase of the properties, and the other one
would be dividad in two parts too: one for the redemption of
captives and the other one to help the poors.