COMUNICACIÓN

Experts from Spanish and Dominican universities examine the figure of the governor of Hispaniola and his role in shaping the Atlantic world. The event will take place in Cáceres, Trujillo and Alcántara. (22/10/2026)

José Luis Gil Soto, secretary-general for Culture of the Regional Government of Extremadura, has inaugurated the International Congress “Fray Nicolás de Ovando: The Extremaduran Who Organised the New World” in Cáceres. The academic event brings together Spanish and Dominican specialists to explore the life and career of this Extremaduran figure and his influence on the institutional organisation of the first American territories under Castilian rule.

In his address, he highlighted the strategy promoted by the Regional Government of Extremadura through its Regional Ministry of Culture and the Extremaduran Foundation for Culture, Extremestiza. The aim, he explained, is to “renew the ties between Extremadura and the Americas through knowledge, dialogue and cultural and ethnic mixing, recognising that our shared memory can become a basis for cultural, academic and social cooperation in the present and for the future”.

In the secretary-general’s view, cultural and ethnic mixing is not merely a historical category, but the result of centuries of movement and exchange involving people, languages, knowledge, ideas and ways of understanding the world, “making it today one of the major areas of connection between Extremadura, Europe and Latin America”.

For her part, Mar Lozano, president of the Royal Academy of Extremadura of Letters and Arts, noted that the congress aims to deepen understanding of Nicolás de Ovando through a shared historical perspective, “incorporating research and experiences from both sides of the Atlantic in order to avoid partial interpretations”, she stated.

The congress seeks to deepen understanding of the Americas and the role played by Extremadura in history and in shaping the Atlantic world, drawing on rigorous historical research. “Our aim is to make tangible progress in our understanding of Nicolás de Ovando by examining his career within the political, institutional, economic, social and cultural context of his time”, said the president of the Royal Academy of Extremadura.

The programme features researchers from Spanish and Dominican universities, as well as representatives of the Dominican Republic’s Academy of History, led by its president, Miguel Reyes Sánchez. The sessions will take place in Cáceres, Trujillo and Alcántara, three towns closely linked to the life and career of Nicolás de Ovando.

The opening ceremony also featured speeches by Emilio Borrega, first deputy mayor of Cáceres, who highlighted Extremadura’s growing profile as a meeting point for Hispanism and international historical debate, and Teresa Terrón, vice-rector for University Outreach at the University of Extremadura, who emphasised the opportunity to revisit a key figure for understanding the shared history of Europe and the Americas.

Among the other authorities attending the event were María Félix Tena, president of the High Court of Justice of Extremadura, and José Antonio García Muñoz, deputy government representative in Cáceres.

Nicolás de Ovando

Ovando represents a pivotal moment in the transition from the experience of the military orders in the Iberian Peninsula to the institutional organisation of overseas territories. Having been trained in the Order of Alcántara, which was closely linked to Extremadura and the Crown, he served as tutor to Prince Juan and held important positions, including commander of Lares and grand commander. In 1502, the Catholic Monarchs appointed him governor of Hispaniola, tasking him with restoring order and consolidating royal authority. His administration, which lasted until 1509, marked a decisive period in the establishment of Castilian rule in the Caribbean. During these years, administrative and economic foundations were laid, the territory was organised, and the establishment of new settlements and town councils was encouraged, marking the beginnings of colonial urban life. His administration also saw the promotion of charitable institutions, including some of the earliest hospitals in the Americas.