Fray Marcos de Niza (1495-1558?)

Fray Marcos arrived in Mexico City in 1537, one year after Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca returned from an eight-year journey across Mexico, where he heard tales of the magnificently wealthy seven cities of Cíbola. Since ancient times, legends circulated about the seven golden cities, which always appeared just beyond the reach of explorers. Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza was eager to investigate reports of those cities before potential rivals beat him to the wealth. Thus in the fall of 1538, Mendoza sent Fray Marcos to explore the lands and report on his findings, with the guidance of Estéban, a Moroccan slave who had traveled with Cabeza de Vaca. Estéban traveled ahead of the Friar to gather information and was apparently killed by Indians while the two were separated. Fray Marcos went on, he claimed, to see Cíbola. If he saw any cities, however, these would have been those of the Zunis. Yet because the claims outlined in his Relatión seemed to support Cabeza de Vaca's accounts, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, the governor of New Galacia, organized a 2,000-person expedition in 1540. Fray Marcos accompanied the expedition. When the expedition did not uncover the great wealth the they all sought, Fray Marcos de Niza was forced to leave the expedition amid great anger on the part of the soldiers and Coronado. Little is known of the background of this Franciscan friar. It is believed that he was born in Nice and had spent time in Peru and Guatemala prior to this expedition. Today much uncertainty surrounds Fray Marcos's journey, his route, and his claims about having seen the golden cities. Yet his account remains important for the role it played in inspiring further exploration.