Beatriz was born in the small village of Santa Maria of Trassierra into a family of peasant farmers and small share holders. and had two brothers. According to historian Rafael Ramírez de Arellano, her father or stepfather was Pedro de Torquemada of converso origin and her mother was Ana Núñez de Arana. In his history of Cordoba he explains that she and her brother Peter took the name of their maternal aunt Mayor Enríquez de Arana. She was one of the relatives who took them in when they became orphaned in 1471. The Núñez de Arana families were small landholders of modest means. Beatriz knew how to read and write, an unusual thing at the time, which indicates she had at least some status. Most historians agree that the lower social status of Beatriz is the reason why Columbus never married her, as he aspired to a woman of higher degree to help benefit his ventures.
Relationship with Columbus
In 1479 Columbus had traveled to Lisbon, to conduct trade and visit his brother, where he met and married Filipa Moniz about 1479 or 1480, producing a son named Diego. Columbus' wife died in 1484, according to some historians; others speculate he may have simply deserted her and took their child, then around five years old, and moved to Spain. In early 1486, Columbus was living in the court of the Spanish monarchs in Seville, while trying to convince them to finance his "Enterprise of the Indies". King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I were preoccupied at the time trying to unify Spain. They were interested in Columbus's idea but couldn't give it their full attention while the war in Granada was going on against the Moors. Meanwhile, Columbus was given subsistence and allowed to stay at the monarchs' castle in Cordoba as his project promised the possibility of future riches and spread of Christianity. While waiting for a decision and another meeting with the Spanish monarchs, Columbus patronized a local apothecary shop that was operated by people from Genoa, Italy, his probable birthplace. At the pharmacy he became a friend of a young Basque man named Diego de Arana. Diego had two orphaned cousins in his family's household: Beatriz Enríquez de Arana and her brother Pedro Enríquez de Arana. Diego introduced Beatriz, then 20 or 21 years old, to the 35 year old Columbus in 1487. In August 1488, they had a son named Ferdinand, but did not marry. Diego's family, who adopted Beatriz, had a prosperous wine business. They may have helped Columbus with money for his expeditions; her cousin and brother late When Columbus left for his first expedition to the New World, the two children, Diego and Ferdinand, were turned over to Beatriz to bring up. The care she gave them was noted and praised by Queen Isabella. Some historians think that the award money intended for the look-out man that would be the first to spot land went instead to Columbus's mistress. When Columbus died he left some provision for her in his will, directing his son Diego to hold her in respect and continue an annual allowance. Diego appears to have been a bit remiss with payments; Beatriz' last recorded act in 1521 was hiring an attorney to collect some money, and Diego's will written in 1532 contained a directive that any unpaid monies from the last three or four years were to be paid out to Beatriz' heirs. Neither her cause of death, or the exact date have been recorded, but it is assumed to have taken place shortly after 1521.
