And in almost no time she turned it into one of  the most powerful enterprises in all of Europe.

Mendes was a unicorn. At the time it was incredibly rare for anyone who wasn't born into nobility to become successful. And for a woman (who wasn't a queen or princess) to become so powerful was practically unheard of.

But Mendes had something else going against her. She was also a Jew.

Remember, the 1400s and 1500s were an incredibly difficult time in Europe for Jewish people; they were kicked out of Spain, kicked out of Portugal, and then forced to convert to Christianity. Those who refused were burned at the stake.

Mendes was one of these converted Jews, who were commonly known as "conversos" in Spain and Portugal.

But technically she was a "Crypto Jew". Yes that's a real term. And no she wasn't an early adopter of Ye Olde Bitcoin.

"Crypto Jew" is the term that refers historically to Spanish and Portuguese Jews who secretly practiced their faith, but who pretended to be Catholic in public.