Talavera, Hernando de, 1428?-1507

Hernando de Talavera, O.S.H. (c. 1430 – 14 May 1507) was a Spanish clergyman and councilor to Queen Isabel of Castile. He began his career as a monk of the Order of Saint Jerome, was appointed the queen's confessor and with her support and patronage, became the Archbishop of Granada. Talavera also served on the royal council and was relied upon to undertake important assignments for the Crown. In 1479 he was sent to Portugal to ensure that Isabel’s rival, Juana of Castile, entered a convent as previously agreed. In 1486, Talavera facilitated an introduction between Christopher Columbus and Isabel, after which the queen instructed Talavera to establish a commission to consider the feasibility of the Columbus proposal. After the conquest of Granada in 1492, Talavera was appointed the first Archbishop of Granada, a position he held until 1500. He was known for his efforts to convert Muslims to Christianity through education and persuasion rather than force. He was also a long-time opponent of the Spanish Inquisition, a position that ultimately led to his denouncement and arrest by the Inquisitor Diego Rodríguez de Lucero. Talavera was ultimately cleared of these charges by the intervention of Pope Julius II.