The most important piece of information about Francisca Gaviln’s marriage to Henry IV is the fact that they were both born in Spain, which places her at the very bottom of the Spanish genealogy charts. Her parents were named Joamar and Maria Christina Gaviln, but given the difficulties in verifying the identity of her birth parents it is not clear exactly where they lived. Gavin was born in the month of August, 1570 and was probably born in the Canary Islands or on the coast of Morocco. Her first name was probably not Frisca, but rather femma or frizzy. Her maiden name was Guise, or Guise Benite. It is not certain whether she changed her name during her marriage to Henry IV, or not, or even when her marriage to the King became final.
It is clear from the marriage records that Gaviln was a talented woman who excelled at needlecraft and embroidery work. A qualified tailor and skilled weaver, Gaviln also spent considerable time learning other trades including painting and pottery. Gaviln was twenty-four years old when her marriage to Henry IV was arranged. She must have been very young to be tagged with the nickname “Old Maid” by her groom, although this may simply be an indication that she lacked self-confidence, and this may have been a common perception of women of her station in those times.
Gaviln’s life was a remarkable one. After her husband’s death, she remained single for many years and worked hard at repairing the damage caused by her husband’s Rebellion. Her talents were rewarded when in 1590 she was able to create the first of its type tapestries, which are still used today as tapestry fabrics. In addition, Gaviln produced a sketch of a woman who should appear in the works of the great painter Vasque, called the First Lady, which was based on one of the paintings of that era. Gaviln was the first recorded female artist to be created into tapestry fabric.