Born into the House of Coloma, he was the son of Juan I Coloma, 1st Lord of Alfajarin. His first marriage was to Dona Isabel Díez de Aux. After her death he married dona María Pérez Calvillo, Lady of Malon and Bisimbre. She was from a wealthy Jewish house who converted to avoid expulsion. Therefore his descendants all had Jewish blood. He had 1 legitimate son born in 1500: Juan III Francisco Coloma: 3rd Lord of Alfajarin, 2nd Lord of Elda, Salinas and Petrer. His illegitimate daughter became abbess of the monastery of Poor Clares in Zaragozza, where he is buried in the monastery that he founded.
Career
At a young age, he was sent to the royal court of Juan II de Aragón; He became a close confidant to the king and from 1462 was his royal secretary. He took office between 1462 – 1479. His career continued during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, in which he accompanied the court during the war to Granada. There he designed one of his major acts, the Alhambra Decree. He was requested to give counsel concerning the foundation of the Holy Inquisition in Aragon and sent a royal diplomat to the king of FranceCharles VIII. At the request of his patrons, he designed the conditions that Columbus could receive the royal patronage for his expedition. He concluded the important document with the royal approbation for Columbus in 1491. This concluded in the Capitulations of Santa Fe. Ferdinand was grateful and bestowed noble status to his first wife in 1506. However he wanted to climb higher and bought the Barony of Elda, Salinas and Petrer in 1512. This made possible that his descendants could ascend the hierarchy of the Spanish nobility. After the King's death in 1506, he retired to his palace in Zaragoza, where he became the second lord of Alfajarin. He then returned to Borja, where he died.
Memorial
The Centro de Estudios Borjanos organised in 2017 the Año Coloma in honour of the 500th anniversary of his death.
books
Alfaro Lapuerta, Emilio: «Don Juan de Coloma, caballero de Borja»; Fernando el Católico y la Hispanidad, Zaragoza, 1952, pp. 37-50.
Gascón de Gotor, Anselmo: «Aragón en América: el Magnífico D. Juan de Coloma y las Capitulaciones de Santa Fe»; Doce de Octubre, Zaragoza, 1967.
Lacarra, José M.ª: «Un libro de notas del secretario del Rey Católico, Juan de Coloma»; Martínez Ferrando, archivero, Barcelona, 1968, pp. 217- 237.
