Assassination attempt on Ferdinand II

An event took place in December 1492 that nearly changed the course of European history when a blade came within a thread's width of killing one of Spain's most powerful rulers. King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the monarch who had just completed the conquest of Granada and sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas, faced death on a palace staircase.

At the medieval plaza where Catalan kings once held court, the Plaça del Rei, Ferdinand descended the stone steps of the Royal Palace after meeting with judges. The towering Gothic palace complex, with its grand halls and royal chapel, had witnessed centuries of royal ceremonies. Suddenly, a Catalan peasant named Joan de Canyamàs lunged from the crowd with a short sword.

The blade slashed across Ferdinand's neck from his ear to his throat. Witnesses said only a spider's thread prevented complete decapitation. The heavy gold chain Ferdinand wore around his neck deflected the weapon just enough to save his life. Guards seized the attacker as the king collapsed.

For three days, Ferdinand hovered between life and death while Queen Isabella nursed him constantly. The mentally unstable Canyamàs confessed under torture that he believed himself the rightful king. He was executed by quartering through the streets.