Senior Abraham

SENIOR ABRAHAM

Abraham Senior, Abraham Abraham Seneor Senneor or (Segovia , c. 1412 - c. 1493) was a Rabbi, banker and politician Judeo-Spanish, a senior official of the hacienda Spanish (almojarife of Castile real or manager), which in 1492 converted to Christianity under the name of Ferrán, Fernando Fernan Perez Coronel or Fernando Núñez Coronel or and founding a noble lineage, that of Colonel.

Expulsion of the Jews, Emilio Sala (1889). This picture of history painting depicts a scene that the painter justified by this piece of William H. Prescott : The Jews, who had notice of what was happening, they turned to their political power to conciliate ordinary of kings commissioned one of their own to make a donation of thirty thousand ducats, bound for the costs of War of the Moors, but this negotiation was bewildered in a violent way by the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada, who entered the hall of the palace where the kings were commissioned Jewish audience, and taking a crucifix from beneath habits, introduced him crying "Judas Iscariot sold his master for thirty pieces of silver, Your Highnesses will sell him for thirty thousand, here it is, take it and vendedle." And with that he threw the crucifix frantic priest on the table and left. The kings, rather than punish such audacity, or despise as mere outburst of a madman, they were terrified. One of the many contemporary comments to this work refers to the figure of the Jew appears back in the foreground, giving it a haughty attitude. A comment attributed current monumental dignity ... achieved by the breadth of his thick robes and firm and contained the accusation of the inquisitor. Neither makes assumptions regarding the possible identification of such a commission, but the position at the court of Abraham Senior was precisely described.

The Senior

The Senior family, or Seneor Senneor and its surroundings formed a major financial group since the 1460 got to lease the main tax revenues of Crown of Castile , business in which they remained for the rest of the century. also intervened in politics , supports what some sources call a bourgeois party, a defender of the interests of artisans in the center cities of Castile, ruled by an urban patricians from the lower nobility and bourgeoisie (as the very Segovia). This group highlighted the presence of a number of personal relationships of Abraham Senior, his relative Andres Cabrera (steward of King Henry IV of Castile), the wife of Andrew, Beatriz de Bobadilla (lady of the then Princess Elizabeth) and Alonso Quintanilla , Counter of Accounts, which the prince Alfonso entrusted with the establishment of a mint in Medina del Campo (city enriched by the exhibitions). One consequence of the activity of this party was the creation of the Holy Brotherhood (1476), promoted by Quintanilla, of which Abraham became Senior Treasurer in 1488.

Courtier Isabella

His position at court was so important, not merely its largest fundraiser features the kingdom in 1469 intervened decisively in the negotiations for the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1473 in the reconciliation between Isabella and her brother Henry IV, and in 1474 in the delivery of the Alcázar de Segovia (whose governor was Andrew Cabrera). reached a high level of confidence of Elizabeth, who, as queen, in gratitude for his important services, endowed him with a pension of 100 000 maravedis, confirmed in 1480 at the request of the confessor real Hernando de Talavera . He was appointed chief judge of the Jewish community (Jewish community) Segovia (where he clashes with converted Jews and their families) and "rab do the court" ("Rabbi" or " chief rabbi of Castile ") position for that, like many of his predecessors, lacked appropriate qualifications from the standpoint of religious orthodoxy of Judaism . He was so respected by the highest authorities, that the Cortes of Toledo in 1480 he was presented with 50 000 mrs from rents collected by him. In the collection of taxes was associated with Isaac Abravanel, which became a close friend after he had taken under his protection to be forced to leave Portugal Abravanel in 1483. The Granada War played a valuable role both financial and Abraham served as general-factor . Both also took steps, initially unsuccessful, for the proposed transatlantic expedition of Christopher Columbus .

Actively intervened to support the cause of the Jewish community, subjected to increasing pressure. Thanks to her efforts, she managed to collect between the Jewish communities of Castile a large sum to enable the Jews captured in the capture of Malaga continuity in the exercise of their religion. At that time he was accused of having sold the jewels of the captive women to add that amount to the rescue. After getting to delay the decision, long considered by the king to expel the Jews from Spain and in view of the final publication of the Edict of Granada (March 31, 1492), Abraham and Isaac Abravanel Senior requested the repeal of the edict to change large sums of money, or some cause to be excluded. The refusal of the queen, Senior (80 years an old man) chose conversion, while his friend Abravanel (of 65) chose to keep their religion and set out for Naples .

The conversion of Abraham Senior high impact expected and responded to the political strategy of the Catholic Kings, so it was carefully staged, advertised and surrounded by all kind of formalities at a ceremony held on June 15 1492 in the monastery of Guadalupe, to be the godparents of baptism both kings, and officiating the primate of Spain . From then took the Christian name of his godfather, Fernando (Ferran or Ferrara) and surname Núñez Pérez Colonel or Colonel (chosen by a noble extinct with the name of Colonel, although some interpreted as a message crypto) along with regional recognition of chivalry known solar , exceptional. With Senior entire family was baptized, among whom was his son (or according to other sources in-law or father) the rabbi and collector Tax Meir , Meir or Malamed Mayr .

After conversion, whose sincerity was discussed, took a few days charges Councilman Segovia, a member of the Royal Council and contador mayor of Prince John . During the expulsion continued to maintain key financial role in relations with the Jewish community who had to leave Spain to play a very restrictive economic legislation, so that in the following years the family Coronel claimed and obtained the king to collect substantial sums that had their origin in these operations (Bankruptcy Jews).

The Colonel

The Colonel remained one of the most important families of Segovia in the sixteenth century. In 1493, the children of Abraham/Fernando, Juan Pérez Colonel and Colonel Inigo Lopez, inherited his position in the commercial partnership with Luis de Alcalá and Mayr / Fernán. Inigo was also ruler of Segovia, and the lifting of Communities was treasurer of the rebels. A daughter, Maria Coronel, had married in 1510 with Juan Bravo, Segovia commoner the future leader.

Senior Abraham's house in Segovia

In the Jewish quarter or neighborhood in the Colonel, which housed a synagogue even oratory was converted into a convent of Franciscans in 1902, and currently houses the Teaching of the Jewish Center. In the Monastery of El Parral still stands the chapel of the Calvary family Coronel, with the tombs of Abraham / Fernando, his brother Pablo Coronel (secretary of Cardinal Cisneros and professor at Hebrew University of Alcalá, where he participated in the Complutense Polyglot Bible) and his granddaughter, Maria Coronel. Other prominent members of the family were Colonel Colonel Luis Nunez (nephew of Abraham, theologian, professor at the Sorbonne, secretary of Alonso de Fonseca and friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam) and Pablo Núñez Coronel (Sorbonne professor and rector of Montagut College, where he met Erasmus). Neighbor of the Colonel, and new Christian, was the outstanding medical Andrés Laguna .

The fame of the Colonel was so widespread that, as in the seventeenth century, Francisco de Quevedo uses his name (with obvious connotations for readers aware of the time) a character in The Searcher : Diego Coronel, noble service student of entering the protagonist, and those who suffer misfortunes famous university.