Andres de la Tovilla
Encyclopedia
Andrés de la Tovilla was a Spanish conquistador
and soldier in the Americas. He was born about 1513 in Cazorla
, Spain
. He is most remembered as a participant in the expedition to Mexico
(1520) led by Panfilo de Narváez
and the expedition for the conquest of Guatemala
(1524–1525) commissioned by Hernán Cortés
. He, along with Diego de Mazariegos, founded the City of “Villareal de Chiapa de los Españoles”, now San Cristobal de las Casas
, Chiapas
, Mexico, in 1528 as a regional base for the conquest of Guatemala.
to fight Hernán Cortés
in Mexico in 1520. He joined Cortés' side, and after Narváez was defeated, in Zempoala, Veracruz on May 24, 1520, and he participated in the conquest of Mexico. Prior to the defeat of Narváez, Andrés de la Tovilla devised weaponry consisting of indigenous spears, longer than the Spanish spears, where the copper and stone sharp blades were changed with iron knives instead. Plus he gathered 2,000 Chinantecas Indians, who joined Cortés and fought against Narváez in Zempoala
, well documented on the best historian at the time in The Truthful History of the Conquest of New Spain, by Bernal Díaz del Castillo
(1963). The Conquest of New Spain, J. M. Cohen (trans.), 6th printing (1973), Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-044123-9. OCLC 162351797).
sent Diego de Mazariegos and Andrés de la Tovilla, along a group of 150 foot soldiers and forty horses, to complete the conquest. Mazariegos, Tovilla and others signed the establishment of the first Spanish city in the Guatemala
region in 1528, known first as “Villareal de Chiapa de los Españoles”, later known as "Ciudad Real," and presently known as "San Cristobal de las Casas". During the independence of Guatemala, the northern portion remained within Mexico and is now part of the State of Chiapas, Mexico.
and immigrating to the West Indies. Although Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
, King of Spain, in 1522 prohibited converted Jews, "New Christians," to embark to the West Indies, many did. Most of the conquistadors and royal officials disobeyed this prohibition because they needed to staff their armies. Many New Christians who fled to the West Indies before 1522 concealed their origins by changing their identities in order to appear as Old Christians. According to Uchmany, the names of the conquerors and colonizers in Chiapas
coincide, in their totality, with the names of those sentenced by the Inquisition in Ciudad Real, Spain (in the 15th century Ciudad Real
became the seat of the Inquisition tribunal, later it moved a few kilometers east to Toledo
). The children of those sentenced were sent far away at the corners of the Spanish Empire, as New Christians.
("The Participation of New Christians and Crypto-Jews in the Conquest, Colonization and Trade of Spanish America, 1521-1660", Eva Alexandra Uchmany, The Jews and the Expansion of Europe to the West, 1450-1800, European Expansion and Global Interaction, Volume 2, Eva Alexandra, Edited by Paolo Bernardini and Norman Fiering)
The young age of Andres de la Tovilla at his arrival with Narváez suggests that he was a New Christian child recruited as soldier with Narváez army, also why he remained with Mazariegos, and settled in San Cristobal de las Casas
. He married María de Pineda about 1536 in Villareal de Chiapa de los Españoles, Chiapas, Mexico.
(The Carfra Pivaral Family of Canada & Guatemala, http://www.islandnet.com/~carlaw/pafg41.htm#1079).
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
and soldier in the Americas. He was born about 1513 in Cazorla
Cazorla
Cazorla is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the city had a population of 8,173 inhabitants.-Description:Cazorla lies at an elevation of 836 metres on the western slope of the Sierra de Cazorla...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He is most remembered as a participant in the expedition to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(1520) led by Panfilo de Narváez
Pánfilo de Narváez
Pánfilo de Narváez was a Spanish conqueror and soldier in the Americas. He is most remembered as the leader of two expeditions, one to Mexico in 1520 to oppose Hernán Cortés, and the disastrous Narváez expedition to Florida in 1527....
and the expedition for the conquest of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
(1524–1525) commissioned by Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
. He, along with Diego de Mazariegos, founded the City of “Villareal de Chiapa de los Españoles”, now San Cristobal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas also known as it's native Tsotsil name, Jovel is a city and municipality located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas...
, Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, Mexico, in 1528 as a regional base for the conquest of Guatemala.
Expedition to Mexico
Tovilla was a soldier trained in Italy who came with Panfilo de NarváezPánfilo de Narváez
Pánfilo de Narváez was a Spanish conqueror and soldier in the Americas. He is most remembered as the leader of two expeditions, one to Mexico in 1520 to oppose Hernán Cortés, and the disastrous Narváez expedition to Florida in 1527....
to fight Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
in Mexico in 1520. He joined Cortés' side, and after Narváez was defeated, in Zempoala, Veracruz on May 24, 1520, and he participated in the conquest of Mexico. Prior to the defeat of Narváez, Andrés de la Tovilla devised weaponry consisting of indigenous spears, longer than the Spanish spears, where the copper and stone sharp blades were changed with iron knives instead. Plus he gathered 2,000 Chinantecas Indians, who joined Cortés and fought against Narváez in Zempoala
, well documented on the best historian at the time in The Truthful History of the Conquest of New Spain, by Bernal Díaz del Castillo
Bernal Díaz del Castillo
Bernal Díaz del Castillo was a conquistador, who wrote an eyewitness account of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards for Hernán Cortés, himself serving as a rodelero under Cortés.-Early life:...
(1963). The Conquest of New Spain, J. M. Cohen (trans.), 6th printing (1973), Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-044123-9. OCLC 162351797).
Expedition to Guatemala
After several attempts to conquer Guatemala, in 1525, Hernán CortésHernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
sent Diego de Mazariegos and Andrés de la Tovilla, along a group of 150 foot soldiers and forty horses, to complete the conquest. Mazariegos, Tovilla and others signed the establishment of the first Spanish city in the Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
region in 1528, known first as “Villareal de Chiapa de los Españoles”, later known as "Ciudad Real," and presently known as "San Cristobal de las Casas". During the independence of Guatemala, the northern portion remained within Mexico and is now part of the State of Chiapas, Mexico.
Jewish Immigration to the Americas
In a research paper written by Eva Alexandra Uchmany, there is documented evidence of Jews fleeing the Spanish InquisitionSpanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
and immigrating to the West Indies. Although Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, King of Spain, in 1522 prohibited converted Jews, "New Christians," to embark to the West Indies, many did. Most of the conquistadors and royal officials disobeyed this prohibition because they needed to staff their armies. Many New Christians who fled to the West Indies before 1522 concealed their origins by changing their identities in order to appear as Old Christians. According to Uchmany, the names of the conquerors and colonizers in Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
coincide, in their totality, with the names of those sentenced by the Inquisition in Ciudad Real, Spain (in the 15th century Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real is a city in Castile-La Mancha, Spain, with a population of c. 74,000. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid, located 115 miles to the north. A high capacity...
became the seat of the Inquisition tribunal, later it moved a few kilometers east to Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
). The children of those sentenced were sent far away at the corners of the Spanish Empire, as New Christians.
("The Participation of New Christians and Crypto-Jews in the Conquest, Colonization and Trade of Spanish America, 1521-1660", Eva Alexandra Uchmany, The Jews and the Expansion of Europe to the West, 1450-1800, European Expansion and Global Interaction, Volume 2, Eva Alexandra, Edited by Paolo Bernardini and Norman Fiering)
The young age of Andres de la Tovilla at his arrival with Narváez suggests that he was a New Christian child recruited as soldier with Narváez army, also why he remained with Mazariegos, and settled in San Cristobal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas also known as it's native Tsotsil name, Jovel is a city and municipality located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas...
. He married María de Pineda about 1536 in Villareal de Chiapa de los Españoles, Chiapas, Mexico.
(The Carfra Pivaral Family of Canada & Guatemala, http://www.islandnet.com/~carlaw/pafg41.htm#1079).