- Castilla de Oro
Castilla de Oro (or del Oro) was the name given by the Spanish settlers at the beginning of the
sixteenth century to the Central American territories from theGulf of Urabá , near today's Colombian-Panamanian border, to theBelén River . Beyond that river, the region was known asVeragua , and was disputed by the Spanish crown and the Columbus family. The name "Castilla de Oro" was made official in May1513 by King Ferdinand II the Catholic, then regent of theCrown of Castile .After
Vasco Núñez de Balboa 's discovery of thePacific Ocean , Castilla de Oro's jurisdiction was broadened to include the Pacific coasts of Panama,Costa Rica , andNicaragua .With the creation, in
1527 , of the Province of Nicaragua, which included today's Nicaragua as well as theNicoya Peninsula , Castilla de Oro's jurisdiction was reduced. In1537 , once the conflict between the crown and the Columbus family was settled, Castilla de Oro was split up, divided by theDuchy of Veragua .The western portion, which comprised most of Panama's and Costa Rica's Pacific coasts, was merged in
1540 withRoyal Veragua , to create the Province ofNuevo Cartago y Costa Rica .The eastern part, the last remnant of Castilla de Oro, in time became known as the Realm of Tierra Firme, or Panamá, especially after the creation of the Royal Academy of Panamá in
1538 . In1560 , the new Province of Veragua, created by Philip II out of the now defunct Duchy of Veragua, was merged with Castilla de Oro.Governors of Castilla del Oro, 1514-1540
*1514-1526 Pedro Arias Dávila, Governor
*1526-1529Pedro de los Ríos y Gutiérrez de Aguayo , Governor
*1529-1532Antonio de la Gama , Interim Governor
*1533-1536Francisco de Barrionuevo , Governor
*1536-1539Pedro Vázquez de Acuña , Governor
*1539Francisco Pérez de Robles , President of theAudiencia of PanamaReferences
*"This article is a translation of the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia, which was accessed in the version of April 21, 2006.'
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