THE FIRST COLONIAL POWERS: 1454-1573

Pope Nicholas V issued the bull Romanum Pontifex, which was immediately accepted by Portugal, renouncing the Canaries in favour of Castile, in exchange for monopolizing the resources of Guinea and the existing pagan lands south of Cape Boxer, mainly the slave trade. Treaty of Lodi: peace between Milan, Venice and Genoa, establishes the balance of powers between the different Italian cities and the Pope. In France: Jacques Coeur, imprisoned, tortured and dispossessed of his goods, escapes from the prison of Poitiers with the complicity of the Pope and takes refuge in Rome. Switzerland: Basel earthquake. The Teutonic Order goes to war against the Prussian League, an ally of Poland.
Constantinople is proclaimed capital of the Ottomans, foundation of the University of the City. Aloisio de Cadamostro is the first navigator to be oriented by the Southern Cross. Iberian Peninsula: John II of Castile dies in Valladolid, his son Henry IV the Impotent succeeds him, alliance with Portugal, wedding with Princess Juana. The knights of Santiago repopulate with Christians the lands of Letur, in Albacete.
Pedro Tafur writes his Adventures and travels. Granada: brief reign of Mohammed XI. A new war breaks out between Aragon and Genoa, a convoy of Genoese merchants is destroyed by the Aragonese fleet in the Tyrrhenian Sea, near the island of Ponza. In Granada Muhammad IX the Left-handed dies, his son-in-law Muhammad XI the Little One succeeds him, but a group of nobles, with the support of John II, proclaims Abu Nars in Malaga. In the East, the Ottoman sultan demanded payment of tribute to the island of Rodes, the Knights Hospitallers refused to pay. The Ottomans invade Hungary, but are defeated by Juan Hunyadi in Krusevac.