August
24
/ 2022
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was a Spanish explorer, born in 1490 in the town of Jerez, a place famed for its sweet wines. Although his name, which meant ‘Cow’s Head,’ was amusing to some, it placed him firmly within the aristocrat class of Spain. His grandfather, Pedro de Vera Mendoza, had served the Spanish Crown well, conquering Gran Canaria in the 1480s. De Vaca would prove an equally loyal servant as he blossomed into a young man. At 21 he had fought for Spain in the Italian campaigns of 1511 to 1513, and in 1520 he helped the Spanish kingdom put down the Comunero rebellion of Castile, who rose up for their independence. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"98713","attributes":{"alt":"Portrait of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de
