But this was too late for Columbus himself.

Immediately after he had sent his brother away, his illness increased in violence.
The time for petitions and for answers to petitions had come to an end.
His health failed steadily, and in the month of May he knew that he was approaching his death.

The king and the court had gone to Villafranca de Valcacar.
On the nineteenth of May Columbus executed his will, which had been prepared at Segovia a year before.

In this will he directs his son and his successors, acting as administrators, always to maintain "in the city of Genoa, some person of our line, who shall have a house and a wife in that place, who shall receive a sufficient income to live honorably, as being one of our relatives, having foot and root in the said city, as a native; since he will be able to receive from this city aid in favor of the things of his service; because from that city I came forth and in that city I was born." This clause became the subject of much litigation as the century went on.
Another clause which was much contested was his direction to his son Diego to take care of Beatriz Enriquez, the mother of Fernando.

Diego is instructed to provide for her an honorable subsistence "as being a person to whom I have great obligation.