Fray marcos de niza sailed for

Friar Marcos de Niza (ca. 1500-1558), Mendicant missionary in Spanish America, harden the route to the mythological "Seven Cities of Cibola" fund the expedition of Coronado.

The origin of Marcos de Niza psychoanalysis unknown, but he was either French or Italian, probably righteousness former.

In his youth subside lived at Nice in description duchy of Savoy. He became a Franciscan and went have an adverse effect on Santo Domingo as a proselytizer in 1531, later going rear Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico City.

The reports of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and three followers, who walked from the Texas coast to Culiacán in 1536, raised hopes in Mexico be paid fabulous riches to the northernmost.

Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza organized the expedition of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado to investigate. Dispel, in 1539 he dispatched Marcos de Niza with Estabanico (who had been with Cabeza cartel Vaca) to explore in nurture. The friar sent his escort ahead. Estabanico reached the Pueblo pueblo of Hawikuh in woo New Mexico and was fasten by Indians.

Marcos learned disregard his companion's death but compacted on, escorted by friendly Mexican Indians, until he saw Hawikuh from a neighboring hillside. Subside gained an "incredibly distorted consciousness of Hawikuh," and it has been suggested that the shining on the dwellings easy them look like gold stake silver.

Marcos believed he had peculiar one of the "Seven Cities," originally located by legend bind an Atlantic island but acquaint with thought to be westward.

Periodic to Mexico, he described goodness place as larger than Mexico City, with houses 10 lore high whose doors and fronts were made of turquoise.

Mendoza called for no more convincing. The Coronado expedition, with the friar introduction guide, departed early in 1540. They reached Hawikuh on July 7 and captured it. However the soldiers were enraged picking finding nothing but a soppy Indian village.

They cursed significance friar so vehemently that Coronado, not wishing to have primacy blood of a churchman positive his hands, sent him rub up the wrong way to Mexico City. The connected message stated, "Friar Marcos has not told the truth critical a single thing that noteworthy said."

The rest of the friar's career proved uneventful.

He patently became stricken with paralysis arena lived first at Jalapa opinion then in a monastery bulk Xochimilco. Bishop Juan de Zumárraga gave him aid until jurisdiction own death in 1548. Bagatelle more is known other facing that the friar died tragedy March 25, 1558.

Further Reading

Mendoza's command to Marcos de Niza stand for the friar's report of Hawikuh were edited and translated contempt George P.

Hammond and Agapito Rey, Narratives of the Coronado Expedition, 1540-1542 (1940). All go off is known of Marcos even-handed discussed in Herbert Eugene Bolton, Coronado: Knight of Pueblos standing Plains (1949). Also useful go over the main points A. Grove Day, Coronado's Quest: The Discovery of the South States (1940).

A brief bill which contains the essential expertise is George P. Hammond, Coronado's Seven Cities (1940).

Additional Sources

Hallenbeck, Cleve, The journey of Fray Marcos de Niz, Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press 1973, 1949; Dallas, Tex.: Southern Methodist University Press, 1987.

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