Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas

Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas (1549 – 28 March 1626 or 27 March 1625) was a chronicler, historian, and writer of the Spanish Golden Age, author of Historia general de los hechos de los castellanos en las Islas y Tierra Firme del mar Océano que llaman Indias Occidentales ("General History of the Deeds of the Castilians on the Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea Known As the West Indies"), better known in Spanish as Décadas and considered one of the best works written on the conquest of the Americas.

He was Chief Chronicler of Castile and the Americas during the reigns of Philip II and Philip III. Cristóbal Pérez Pastor called him the "prince of the historians of the Americas". He is considered the most prolific historian of his era, and his works also include a general history of the world, a history of Portugal, and a description of the Americas. His output also features translations of works from Italian and Latin into Spanish, and a translation of his own Descripción de las Indias Occidentales ("Description of the West Indies") into Dutch.

Tordesillas

Tordesillas (Spanish pronunciation: [torðeˈsiʎas]) is a town and municipality in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, central Spain. It is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of the provincial capital, Valladolid at an elevation of 704 metres (2,310 ft). The population was c. 9,000 as of 2009.

The town is known for its Toro de la Vega festival during which a bull is slaughtered by people on horseback and on foot. Animal rights groups have repeatedly tried to stop this from taking place.

Tordesillas is located on the Douro River although the river is not navigable up to Tordesillas. There are excellent highway connections (a four-lane freeway) with Madrid, 182 kilometres (113 mi) to the southeast, and with Salamanca, 96 kilometres (60 mi) to the southwest. The provincial capital is also linked by four-lane highway. There are railroad connections with Salamanca, Ourense, Madrid, and Valladolid.

Because of its important highway connections Tordesillas has become a major transit hub. The economy is based on services — especially connected to tourism — and the agricultural production of the surrounding area. Wheat has long been the traditional agricultural product (see Cuisine of the province of Valladolid).