# Christopher de Haro

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{{Short description|Castilian-Portuguese merchant known for backing Magellan and Elcano's voyages}}
'''Cristóbal de Haro''' was a [Castilian](/source/Crown_of_Castile) financier and merchant from Burgos, famous for having provided funding for the [Magellan-Elcano expedition](/source/Magellan's_circumnavigation).

Born in [Burgos](/source/Burgos), Haro was based in [Lisbon](/source/Lisbon) starting in 1505. After 1513, he became upset with the Portuguese crown and returned to Castile, plotting with Portuguese exiles [Ferdinand Magellan](/source/Ferdinand_Magellan) and [Ruy Faleiro](/source/Ruy_Faleiro) and with the Spanish minister [Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca](/source/Juan_Rodr%C3%ADguez_de_Fonseca) an expedition to the [Spice Islands](/source/Spice_Islands) sailing westward.<ref name=DBE>{{cite web |last1=Sagarra Gamazo |first1=Adelaida |title=Cristóbal de Haro |url=http://dbe.rah.es/biografias/37754/cristobal-de-haro |website=Diccionario Biográfico Español |publisher=Real Academia de la Historia |accessdate=20 September 2019}}</ref>

As a financier and representative of the [Fugger](/source/Fugger)s he provided a quarter of the financial backing to Magellan's 1519 voyage, which failed to conquer the Spice Islands but resulted in the first [circumnavigation](/source/circumnavigation) around the world by [Juan Sebastián Elcano](/source/Juan_Sebasti%C3%A1n_Elcano).<ref name=bergreen>{{cite book|author=Laurence Bergreen|author-link=Laurence Bergreen|title=Over the Edge of the World|publisher=Harper Perennial, 2004|page=[https://archive.org/details/overedgeofworl00berg/page/37 37f]|isbn=0-06-621173-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/overedgeofworl00berg/page/37}}</ref>

Cristóbal's brother Diego de Haro headed a commercial firm based in [Antwerp](/source/Antwerp).<ref>Francisco Leite de Faria, "Primeiras relações impressas sobre a viagem de Fernão de Magalhães," in ''A Viagem de Fernão de Magalhães e a Questão das Molucas.  Actas do II Colóquio Luso-Espanhol de História Ultramarina'' (Lisboa: Junta de Investigações Científicas do Ultramar, 1975)</ref> A daughter of Diego, Frances, was married to [Maximilianus of Transylvania](/source/Maximilianus_of_Transylvania) (Maximilianus Transylvanus), who wrote the first account of Magellan's voyage, published in 1523.  Transylvanus pointed out that Cristóbal de Haro had assisted Magellan and Faleiro considerably in presenting their proposals before the Spanish royal counselors.<ref>Tim Joyner, ''Magellan'' (Camden, Maine: International Marine, 1992), 82.</ref>
Haro also helped finance subsequent Spanish expeditions to the Spice Islands: those commanded by Estevao Gomes in 1524, by Jofre de Loaysa in 1525 and by Diego García in 1528.<ref name=DBE/>

He was buried in the church of San Lesmes in Burgos, next to his wife Catalina de Ayala. The tomb is decorated with the coat of arms that [King Charles](/source/Charles_V%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor) granted him, with Magellan's five ships, the [pillars of Hercules](/source/pillars_of_Hercules) and spices.<ref name=DBE/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haro, Christopher De}}
Category:Year of birth missing
Category:Year of death missing
Category:People from Burgos
Category:People of the Magellan expedition
Category:Economic history of Portugal
Category:16th-century merchants
Category:Portuguese people of Flemish descent
Category:People from the Crown of Castile

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Christopher de Haro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_de_Haro) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_de_Haro?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.