The Bobadilla family was one of the wealthiest and most influential families within the

Kingdom of Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, particularly during the

Age of Discovery The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration), also known as the early modern period, was a period largely overlapping with the Age of Sail, approximately from the 15th century to the 17th century in European history, during which seafarin ...

Overview

The family had a long history of service and ties to the crown of Castile. They were members of the

Spanish nobility Spanish nobles are persons who possess the legal status of hereditary nobility according to the laws and traditions of the Spanish monarchy and historically also those who held personal nobility as bestowed by one of the three highest orders of ...

with various members holding titles including Lord, Count, and Marchioness. It was also involved in the conquest and governing of the Canary Islands, Hispaniola, and

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Several of its women in particular would become prominent figures and political leaders. Many members of the family came from the town of

Medina del Campo Medina del Campo is a town and municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Part of the Province of Valladolid, it is the centre of a farming area. History Medina del Campo grew in importance thanks to its fairs ...

in present-day Castile.

Notable members

Notable members of the family include: *

Beatriz de Bobadilla Beatriz de Bobadilla (1440–1511) was a Spanish noble and courtier. She is known as the confidant of Queen Isabella I of Castile. She was the childhood friend of Isabella, and remained at her court as her adviser throughout her reign, once bein ...

, Spanish

marchioness A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...

of Moya, close confidant and advisor to Queen Isabella I of Castile *

Francisco de Bobadilla Francisco Fernández de Bobadilla (c. 1448 – 1 July 1502) was an official under the Crown of Castile and a knight of the Order of Calatrava. He was also the brother of Beatriz de Bobadilla, marchioness (''marquesa'') of Moya and of Peñalosa, ...

, second Governor of the West Indies after

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ulloa-Ossorio (Medina del Campo, 1462 – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1504) was the daughter of Juan de Bobadilla and named after his cousin Beatriz de Bobadilla. Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio was married to ruler of th ...

, Governor of

La Gomera La Gomera () is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of , it is the third smallest of the eight main islands of this archipelago. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tene ...

and

El Hierro El Hierro, nicknamed ''Isla del Meridiano'' (the "Meridian Island"), is the second-smallest and farthest-south and -west of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, with a populatio ...

Isabel de Bobadilla Isabel de Bobadilla, or Inés de Bobadilla (c. 1505–1554) was the first female governor of Cuba from 1539–1543. Background Isabel was born to a family closely associated with the exploration and conquest of the Americas. She was the third ...

, Governor of Cuba Their most immediate common ancestor was the Lord Juan Fernández de Bobadilla V, who was born circa 1375. He was grandfather to Beatriz the first and her brother

Francisco Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name '' Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father o ...

, great-grandfather to Beatriz the younger, and great-great grandfather to

Isabel Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheva''), Arising in the 12th century, it became popul ...

References

Spanish noble families Castilian nobility {{Spain-mil-bio-stub