The Smugglers' City
Department of History, University of Bristol

John Cabot in Seville, 1494

Source: Juan Gil, Mitos y utopias del descubrimiento: I. Colón y su tiempo (Alianza Universidad, Madrid, 1989), 77-81.
Manuscript: Archivo Municipal de Sevilla, Papeles de Mayordomazgo, años de 1493-1494; Actas capitulates, años de 1492-1499.
English translation: Isobel Birden, University of Bristol (2006).
Commentary and notes: Isobel Birden and Evan Jones.

This page contains English translations of documents discovered and published by the Spanish historian Juan Gil. These documents relate to John Cabot's time in Seville where he proposed, was contracted to build, and then spent five months working on, the construction of a stone bridge over the Guadalquivir. The intent was that this would replace Seville's 'Puente de Barcas' (bridge of boats); an expensive-to-maintain pontoon bridge that, from 1171 to 1852, was the city's only bridge across the river.

Puente de Barcas, Seville

Juan Gil suggests that Cabot arrived in Seville at the end of 1493 or at the start of 1494. He had previously been in Valencia, where Cabot had resided since at least 1490, having been forced earlier to flee from Venice as an insolvent debtor.[1] In 1492-3 Cabot proposed and carried out the initial work for harbour improvements at 'La playa del Grao' a small port near Valencia. For reasons that are not entirely clear, this project later had its funds withdrawn. That Cabot subsequently went on to Seville and Lisbon, before arriving in England sometime in 1495, is known from Ayala's letter of 1498. This states that, prior to Cabot's arrival in England, he had 'been in Seville and at Lisbon seeking to obtain persons to aid him' in his plans for a discovery expedition across the Atlantic. On the other hand, the findings of Ballesteros-Gaibrois and Juan Gil indicate that, from 1492-4, Cabot was marketing himself, first in Valencia and then in Seville, as a sort of maritime civil engineer, capable of undertaking major projects. It is unclear how much prior experience Cabot had in this field, although as Edoardo Guiffrida has noted, he certainly had experience of house construction in Venice, which, of necessity, required knowledge of building in water.[2] Either way, at Seville at least, and possibly at Valencia too, it seems that Cabot's projects proved to be over ambitious. In both cases funding was withdrawn after a few months.

Whether John Cabot sought support for an Atlantic expedition while he was in Seville, as Ayala claimed, is something for which no additional evidence has emerged. Gil suggests, however, that while in Seville Cabot might have come into contact with Francisco Cisneros. Dr Cisneros was a Sevillian who presented a petition for a new westwards expedition across the Atlantic to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Gil believes that Cisneros presented this petition in 1494, while Cabot was in Seville, and that Cabot may have been directly influenced by Cisneros.

Gil published three documents that relate to John Cabot's stay in Seville. The first, of 15 September 1494, records the decision of the city council to employ Cabot for the construction of the new bridge. To this end they released 14,136 maravedis for the initial work. From the terms of the payment it appears that Cabot had already been working on the project for three months. That he had been employed prior to September is confirmed in the document of 24 December (Document 3). This states that, as of 24 December, Cabot had been paid for five months work.

The second document is a badly damaged 'Carta de Pago' . This 'letter of payment' was an official instrument, issued by the Council, ordering the 'accountants' of Seville to release the monies to Cabot.

The third document, of 24 December 1494, records the outcome of another Council meeting after what Gil refers to as as a 'tempestuosa sesión'. The minutes of the meeting record the decision to consult the Count of Cifuentes over whether to terminate Cabot's contract. Since Cabot's contract was subsequently terminated, it appears that the Count agreed to the abandonment of the project.

Notes to introduction:
[1] M. Ballesteros-Gaibrois, 'Juan Caboto en España", Revista de Indias , IV (1943), 607-27. That the 'Johan caboto montecalunya venesia' identified by Ballesteros-Gaibrois was the future discoverer of North America, was confirmed by Tiepolo. The documents she uncovered indicate that Cabot had left Venice as an insolvent debtor by 5 November 1488 and that, on 5 July 1492, his creditors tried to pursue him in Valencia through the issue of a 'lettere di raccomandazione a giustizia' (a letter of recommendation to justice): M. F. Tiepolo,  'Documenti Veneziani su Giovanni Caboto', Studi Veneziani, 15 (1973), 585-97.
[2] E. Giuffrida, 'New documents on Giovanni Caboto' in R. Mamoli Zorzi (ed.), Attraversare gli Oceani: Da Giovanni Caboto al Canada Multiculturale (Venice , 1999), 69.

Document 1: Council Minutes, 15 September 1494

We, the mayors and the ' alguazil ' and the Assistant [1] and the 'twenty and four'[2] gentlemen councillors of the very noble and loyal city of Seville, send you Alonso Gonçález de la Taça, 'mayordomo'[3] of this city this present year who started on the 1st day of January this day having passed of the year of this date of this charter, that any maravedis you collect or recover of the rentals due to Seville correctly in this year that you are mayordomo, you give to Mr. Johan Caboto, Venetian, inhabitant of this city, from today for the period of five months following for each day, three reales and three mrs. [4] each day, the which we grant and order in our capacity that he be given his fee, free of costs, meanwhile the works are to be commenced on the brickwork [5] on the river of this city, where there is a stonecutter and wood and officials ___e and other items which are necessary to the works; and give them and pay them from today henceforth for the said time of the said five months at the end of the month in which they build, and take their 'carta de pago', with which and with this letter signed by some of us, the said aldermen, and stamped with the seal of the council of the said city, we order to the accountants [6] of Seville, that you receive on account the mrs. which they will enter and therefore appear in the account of the said Mr. John Cabot so that he receives the above said. Dated the fifteenth day of September, of the year of the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ of one thousand four hundred and ninety and four years. Don Alonso de Guzmán. Count Alferez. Don Alonso de Guzmán. Don Alvar Pérez. Tello. The marshal. Gonçalo Fernández. Gonçalo (?) de Santillán. Guillén de Casas. Alondo de Medina. Juan de Ayala. Alonso de Santillán. Gonçalo Vázquez, scribe.

Translation notes:
In line with the transcription conventions of this website, the text in italics represent Juan Gil's reconstructions. Blanks '___' are illegible parts where reconstruction proved impossible.
[1] 'los alcaldes e el alguazil e el asistente'. The 'alguazil' was an official responsible for law and order, under the command of the mayor.
[2] The 'Twenty Four' was a name of the governing council of Seville, who were not necessarily twenty-four in number.
[3] 'Mayordomo' literally means a steward. However, in this context, it could also be a reference to a head of a confraternity or brotherhood, in charge of government and finance.
[4] 'mrs.': maravedis.
[5] 'Albañería' literally means brickwork. However, references to a stonecutter may indicate that the bridge was actually to be built in whole or part of stone.
[6] 'Contadores': accountants.

Document 2: 'Carta de Pago', 15 September 1494

We, the mayors and the ' alguazil' and the assistant and the 'twenty and four' gentlemen councillors of the very noble and loyal city of Seville, send you Alonso Gonçález de la Taça, 'mayordomo' of this city this present year who started on the 1 st day of January this day having passed of the year of this date of this charter, that any maravedis you collect or recover of the rentals due to Seville correctly in this year that you are 'mayordomo', you give to Mr. Johan Caboto, Venetian, inhabitant of this city, fifty Castilian doubloons, which amount to seven thousand three hundred mrs., the which we grant and order in the council meeting to give and make available to help with the cost, which is the doubloons which we have ordered and made available at the time of our order ___ to help to make the city bridge of brick in the river of this city which is already given, because from now forwards we order to give him certain quantity of mrs. for each day spent at the said works; take his 'carta de pago' with which, and with this letter signed by some of us, the said aldermen, and stamped with the seal of the council of the said city, we order to the accountants of Seville, that you receive on account the said seven thousand and three hundred mrs. Dated the fifteenth day of September, of the year of the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ of one thousand four hundred and ninety and four years. Don Alvaro de Guzmán. Count Alferez. Gundisaluus bachalarius, Melchior Maldonado. Tello. The marshal. Gonçalo Fernández. Don Alvar Pérez. Diego de Guzmán. Pedro de Hurrea. Alonso de Santillán. ___ Medina . Gonçalo, Diaz Marmolejo. Gonçalo Vázquez, scribe.

Translation notes:
The text in italics represent Juan Gil's reconstruction of this badly damaged document. An almost complete reconstruction proved possible because 'Carta de Pago' (payment letters) were highly formulaic. The blank sections '___' are illegible parts where reconstruction proved impossible.

Document 3: Council Minutes, 24 December 1494

To this council meeting was reported through the said deputy and aldermen [1] by Luis Méndez Portocarrero that they already knew how they have been entrusted to give, and have given to Johan Caboto, Venetian, fifty Spanish doubloons from the city, plus an additional three reales for each day for five months that he was in the city, so that an order should be given to build the bridge on this river with bricks, and that as this has not been carried out, that it was required and is required that no more money must be given to him, or that they write to their Highnesses [2] asking that they give permission for that which has been agreed to be carried out, and that the lord Count [3] should be consulted. The same, when seen by the deputy and aldermen was told that which follows:

On behalf of Don Alonso de Guzmán, the town mayor, Fernando Ruiz Cabeza de Vaca and Lope de Agreda [4] it was said that they agreed and confirmed the requirements made by the said Luis Méndez.

On behalf of Fernando d'Esquivel [5] it was said that he had always thought that the Venetian should be paid that which he was owed and that he should be dismissed from the city, and that the bridge should not be built; this is what he asks for and pleads for it by testimonial. In addition, on behalf of the said deputy, the Count is appraised of this so that he negotiates in order that the city might not be caused loss. Moreover, the said deputy and aldermen, except the above Fernando d'Esquivel, elected that Lope de Agreda should go to speak with the Count.

Translation notes:
[1] The 'said deputy' was the 'teniente de asistente' (Deputy to the Assistant), Lorenzo Zomeno. 'Regidores': aldermen.
[2] King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.
[3] Count of Cifuentes.
[4] Members of the 'twenty-four'.
[5] Another member of the 'twenty-four', who clearly favoured the immediate termination of Cabot's contract and his expulsion from the City, without bothering to consult the Count first.