The Order of Isabel the Catholic was instituted by King Ferdinand VII on 14 March 1815. The original statutes of the Order were approved by Royal Decree of 24 March, with membership made in three classes: Grand Cross, and Knights of First and Second Class. Ferdinand VII was declared the Order's Founder, Head, and Sovereign. On 7 October 1816, at the suggestion of the Chapter of the Order, the Knights of the first class were renamed Commanders and the second class were renamed Knights.

By royal decree of 26 July 1847, Isabella II reorganised the four royal orders in Spain: the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Langues of Aragon and Castile of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, the Order of Charles III, and the Order of Isabella the Catholic. The latter was reserved to reward exclusively the services rendered in the Overseas territories. The classes of the order became Knight, Commander, Commander by Number, and Grand Cross. The concession and tests of nobility was suppressed in all the Royal Orders. By royal decree of 28 October 1851, no concessions of Grand Cross of any orders were to be made without the proposal of the Council of Ministers and concessions for the lower classes with the proposal of the Secretary of State.

After the establishment of the First Republic, the Order was declared to be extinguished by Decree of 29 March 1873 as deemed to be incompatible with the republican government. Use of the various insignias was allowed to those who possessed them. When King Alfonso XII ascended to the throne, the Order was reestablished by Decree of 7 January 1875.

During the minority of Alfonso XIII, his mother and Regent, Maria Cristina, signed the royal decrees of 15 April 1889 and 25 October 1900. Among other things, they sought to impose entry into the Order by the category of Knight, to prohibit the use of decorations until the corresponding title was obtained, and to ratify the obligation that the Grand Cross be awarded with the agreement of the Council of Ministers and for conferees to be published in the Official Gazette. By Royal Decree of 14 March 1903, the Silver Cross of the Order was created, and by Royal Decree of 15 April 1907, the Silver and Bronze Medals.

In Royal Decree 1118, of 22 June 1927, the superior grade of Knights of the Collar was created, to be awarded to prominent personalities of extraordinary merit. It also provides that women can also be decorated with either the lazo or banda.

The Provisional Government of the Republic, by decree of 24 July 1931, abolished all orders under the Ministry of State, except for the Order of Isabella the Catholic. The regulations approved by decree of 10 October 1931 introduced a new degree: Officer (Oficial). By decree of 8 August 1935, it was established that the first degree in the Order of Isabella the Catholic was that of the Grand Cross, the Collar being reserved exclusively for very exceptional cases.

In 1938, Franco, by decree of 15 June, restored the Order in its traditional meaning: to reward meritorious services rendered to the country by nationals and foreigners. The order's regulations were approved by Decree of 29 September 1938. According to the 1938 regulations, the order consisted of the following grades: Knight of the Collar, Knight Grand Cross, Commander by Number, Commander, Knight, and Silver Cross. Decree 1353/1971, of 5 June, re-incorporated the rank of Officer, placing it between the grades of Knight and Commander. Thus, the Order consisted of the following grades: Knight of the Collar, Knight of the Grand Cross, Banda de Dama (denomination of the Grand Cross when granted to ladies), Commander by Number, Commander, Officer, Knight, Lazo de Dama (the degree of Knight when it is granted to ladies), and Cruz de Plata.

The order's current regulations date from 1998 as approved by Royal Decree 2395/1998, of 6 November. Among its provisions, the categories of Banda de Dama, Cruz de Caballero and Lazo de Dama were repealed to avoid possible interpretations of there being gender discrimination. Notwithstanding this, for aesthetic and functional reasons, the ladies who are decorated use reduced versions of the insignia of each degree of the Order.

Eye of Horus

MAGDALENA

•  Quote

Post by shipstamps » Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:27 pm

 

Not much is know about the caravel, where and when built unknown.
Tonnage 200 ton, dim. 85 x 25 x 14ft. (draught)
Four masts, fore and main mast square rigged, mizzen and Bonaventura mast lateen rigged.

She was the flagship of Don Pedro de Mendoza (1487-1537) expedition to the River Plata.
Mendoza held a post in the court of Charles V, when he in 1534 made an offer to Emperor Charles V to make an expedition on his own account for the discovery and conquest of Paraguay and the countries on the Rio La Plata.
24 August 1534 Mendoza on board the MAGDALENA and 13 other vessels, with 3000 men set sail from San Lucar, Spain.
Receive from the Emperor before sailing 2.000 ducats, with the condition, when he transported to the new founded colonies 1000 colonists and 100 horses, build a road to the Pacific Ocean, erect three forts within two years he would receive 2.000 ducats more. Also he had to take 8 monks, a physician, a surgeon, and an apothecary, but he was forbidden to introduce a lawyer in the colony.
He was to have half the treasure of the chiefs killed and nine-tenths of the ransom.
Mendoza was made before sailing military governor of all the territory between the Rio de la Plata and the Strait of Magellan. The office of the Governor was also made hereditary.

Off the coast of Brazil the fleet was scattered in a heavy storm, and Medoza lieutenant Osario, was assassinated, according to some authorities by the orders of Mendoza himself because of suspected disloyalty.
1535 Mendoza sailed up the Rio de la Plata, and founded Buenos Aires on 02 February 1536.
He erected two forts there to defend the place.
Pestilence broke out and the natives became unfriendly after ill treatment by the Spaniards.
His brother Don Diego led a force against the hostile tribes, but was killed with three-fourths of his men.
A general conspiracy of the natives was formed, and Buenos Aires was captured and burned by the natives.
Mendoza retired to the forth Sanctus-Spiritus, from where he dispatched Juan de Ayolas to explore the upper part of the river.
Another brother, Gonzalo arrived with reinforcements and founded the city of Ascención in Paraguay in 1536.
Mendoza, disappointed and with a broken health, embarked on board the MAGDALENA for Spain in 1537, leaving Juan de Ayolas in charge.
During the long voyage to Spain he died maniac on board the MAGDALENA on 23 June 1537.

The fate of the MAGDALENA is not known.

Argentine 1979 400p + 400p sg 1646

Source: mostly copied from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_de_Mendoza http://famousamericans.net/pedrodemendoza