Retórica de la Carta de Cristóbal Colón a la reina Isabel la Católica, sobre asuntos de las Indias y personales

Abstract

This work presents the conclusions of the rhetoric, diplomatic and textual study of a handwritten letter of Christopher Columbus to Queen Isabel the Catholic. The missive has been interpreted by the critics as an example of courtly love, the only evidence preserved of a secret relationship between Columbus and the Queen. However, the documental revision, within the context of the history of the epistolary writing, has allowed me to categorise the letter and outline what was its true function. The description of the document is compatible with the own characteristics of the diplomatic sources thatform the Columbian Correspondence. Also, the results of the linguistic analysis are in compliance with the dialectal and stylistic features that traditionally have been considered attached to the language of the Admiral. All of that, with the information that the text content provided, make me conclude that we are faced with an epistle of petition, processed and sent to the Queen Elizabeth as the only recipient, reason that explains its peculiarity.