Isabel Barreto de Castro (

Pontevedra Pontevedra (, ) is a Spanish city in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the capital of both the ''Comarca'' (County) and Province of Pontevedra, and of the Rías Baixas in Galicia. It is also the capital of its own municipality whi ...

, Galicia,

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 ...

), (1567 – 1612) was a Spanish sailor and traveler, the first known woman to hold the office of

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

in the history of navigation. She was purportedly the granddaughter of

Francisco Barreto Francisco Barreto (occasionally Francisco de Barreto, 1520 – 9 July 1573) was a Portuguese soldier and explorer. An officer in Morocco during his early life, Barreto sailed to Portuguese India and was eventually appointed viceroy of the colon ...

governor of Portuguese India , insignia = , insigniasize = , insigniacaption = , image = Lesser coat of arms of Portuguese India.svg , imagesize = 120px , imagecaption = Coat of arms of Portuguese India , style ...

. Isabel Barreto married Alvaro de Mendaña,Gómez-Lucena, Eloísa. Españolas del Nuevo Mundo: ensayos biográficos, siglos XVI-XVII. Biografía de Isabel Barreto (pp. 103-120). Madrid: Cátedra, 2013. . Spanish navigator, patron of several expeditions to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, and European discoverer of the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

and the

Marquesas Islands The Marquesas Islands (; french: Îles Marquises or ' or '; Marquesan: ' ( North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in th ...

Life

Isabel accompanied her spouse on his last expedition from

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

to the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. In the

Santa Cruz Islands The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the nation of Solomon Islands discovered by the Spaniards. They lie approximately 250 miles (400 km) to the southeast of the Solomon Islands ...

, she replaced Mendaña and her brother, Lorenzo Barreto, as Adelantada and Governor after their death. She and the main pilot

Pedro Fernández de Quirós Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...

arrived at

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

, in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, with the 100 survivors of the expedition in the only remaining ship (at the beginning 378 men and women in four ships), after a terrible voyage of twelve weeks from the settlement of Santa Cruz ( Nendö). Doña Isabel was honoured in Manila, and Quirós was commended for his service; with both absolved of any responsibility for the results of the expedition. Isabel, accused of cruelty by the crew, demonstrated a strong personality with great leadership and great determination. She had an uncompromising attitude and managed to maintain severe discipline of the crew of tough and adventurous men, always willing to conspire and mutiny. She remarried to general Fernando de Castro, again crossing the Pacific Ocean to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and then settled in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, where they lived for several years, before returning to

. It is said that Isabel crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the last time to Spain to defend her rights over the

, because the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

had granted the right to colonize the islands to

. She may be buried in

Castrovirreyna Castrovirreyna is a town in central Peru, capital of Castrovirreyna Province in Huancavelica Region Huancavelica () is a department and region in Peru with an area of and a population of 347,639 ( 2017 census). The capital is the city Huan ...

(

) or in Galicia (Spain), in 1612.

Route

Route of Mendaña/Barreto/Quirós 1595 expedition: *

El Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists of the whole Call ...

, April 9, 1595. *

Paita Paita is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Paita Province which is in the Piura Region. It is a leading seaport in the region. Paita is located 1,089 km northwest of the country's capital Lima, and 57 km northwest of ...

(Perú), June 16. *Las Marquesas de Mendoza (

), July 21 – August 5. **Magdalena (

Fatu Hiva Fatu-Hiva (the "H" is not pronounced, see name section below) is the southernmost island of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. With Motu Nao as its closest neighbor, it is also the m ...

) **Dominica (

Hiva Oa With its , Hiva Oa is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Located at 9 45' south latitude and 139 W longitude, it is the largest island of the southern Mar ...

) **Santa Cristina (

Tahuata Tahuata is the smallest of the inhabited Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is located 4 km (2.5 mi.) to the south of the western end of Hiva Oa, across the Canal du Bordelai ...

) **San Pedro (

Moho Tani Mohotani (sometimes spelt ''Moho Tani''; also called ''Molopu'' or ''Motane'') is an uninhabited island southeast of Hiva Oa and east of Tahuata in the southern Marquesas Islands. It has an area of 15 km2. Much of the island's sparse vegeta ...

) *San Bernardo (

Pukapuka Pukapuka, formerly Danger Island, is a coral atoll in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is one of most remote islands of the Cook Islands, situated about northwest of Rarotonga. On this small island, an ancient ...

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

), August 20. *La Solitaria (

Niulakita Niulakita is the southernmost island of Tuvalu, and also the name of the only village on this island. Niulakita has a population of 34 (2017 Census). The residents of Niulakita have moved to the island from Niutao. Niulakita is represented in th ...

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...

), August 29. *

: **

Tinakula Tinakula is a conical stratovolcano which forms an island north of Nendo in Temotu Province, Solomon Islands. It lies at the north end of the Santa Cruz Islands. It is about wide and rises above sea level, rising from the sea floor. The v ...

, September 7. **La Huerta ( Tomotu Noi), Recifes (Swallow Islands), September 8. **Santa Cruz ( Nendö,

), September 8 to November 18. They attempted to found a colony, where Álvaro de Mendaña died, October 18. *

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

, January 1, 1596. *

, February 11.

In modern literature

The voyage's story is told in ''

The Islands of Unwisdom ''The Islands of Unwisdom'' is an historical novel by Robert Graves, published in 1949. It was also published in the UK as ''The Isles of Unwisdom''. Plot It is a reconstruction of an historic event, the voyage of Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira ...

'', an historic novel by

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...

References

Maura, Juan Francisco. Españolas de ultramar. Valencia: Universidad de Valencia, 2005
* Revistas Voluntarios «La primera mujer Almirante de Marina en España» Consultado el 22 de mayo de 2012 * Euskalnet «Bustamante – Casa de Quijas y su rama del Perú» Consultado el 22 de mayo de 2012 * B. Vega, Carlos. Conquistadoras. McFarland, 2003. , p. 168 * Finisterrae «ISABEL BARRETO, PRIMERA ALMIRANTE DE LA MARINA» Consultado el 22 de mayo de 2012 * González López, Emilio. Siempre de negro: Galicia en la Contrarreforma, el reinado de Felipe II. Editorial Galaxia, 1970, p. 223 * Diccionario enciclopédico Salvat. Volumen II. Edición impresa. * Biografías.com «Barreto, Isabel (ca. 1567-ca. 1610).» Consultado el 22 de mayo de 2012 * ArteHistoria

� Consultado el 22 de mayo de 2012 * Armada «Instituto de Historia y Cultura Naval. X. Islas Marquesas y de Santa Cruz.» Consultado el 22 de mayo de 2012 {{DEFAULTSORT:Barreto, Isabel 1567 births 1612 deaths Spanish admirals History of the Marquesas Islands History of the Solomon Islands History of Tuvalu Female admirals Spanish people of Portuguese descent Spanish explorers of the Pacific