Pero Tafur, a Spaniard of illustrious lineage, travelled to Cyprus sometime between 1486 and 1489. What he saw is mentioned in his travelogue about various parts of the world.
"The next day the king sent for me, and before the Cardinal and some nobles told me and begged me to accept from him what I pleased for the expenses of my journey, and I replied that I thanked him much, that I had enough for my return, and that I prayed him to order that leave be given me to go, and a fusta to take me as far as Rhodes: and I strove as much as I could to leave and he to keep me. And he bid me stay there at least eight days, and I because I saw that it pleased him had to do so, and certainly in these days I was so greatly refreshed that I could not have been better, and the vessel which was to take me was made ready, and I took my leave of the king, and with real unwillingness he gave me the permission to go, and there he gave me his Order, which I have still: he gave me also ten pieces of camlet and delicate linen, and a leopard, and so much victuals to take me to Rhodes as would suffice for a year. And at the time I was there, there came two embassies to the king of Cyprus, one from the Duke of Savoy, and another from a Duke of Germany, each of them to arrange a marriage between his daughter and the king: and he made no bargain with either, because (it was said) the Grand Master of Rhodes was proposing to him a much desired alliance with a daughter of the Count of Urgel of Arragon, sister to the wife of the Infante Don Pedro, Regent of Portugal. It appeared however to me that that to which the king's councillors most inclined was with the daughter of the Duke of Savoy, and that I believe was adopted. "
The 'What I Saw...' series is made possible with the support of OPAP (Cyprus) and the Active Citizens Fund.
