The mystery of his origins and resting place will be detailed in an upcoming documentary, “The DNA of Christopher Columbus: The True Ancestry,” which will be released this weekend.
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The mystery surrounding Christopher Columbus and his final resting place may finally have been solved.
A new scientific study from the University of Granada reveals that the navigator and colonizer could be buried in Seville Cathedral. A DNA analysis confirmed that some of his remains are there.
By analyzing small bone fragments and comparing them to the DNA of Christopher Columbus’ direct descendants, scientists have been able to confirm with “absolute certainty” that the explorer’s final resting place is in Spain, thus putting end the debate over the location of his grave.
« This is a groundbreaking discovery that ends a long-standing historical debate said Dr. Jose Antonio Lorente, forensic pathologist and professor of forensic medicine at the University of Granada, who is the principal investigator of the project.
« We can now say with absolute certainty that Christopher Columbus is buried in Seville Cathedral ».
Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506. His remains were moved several times, before ending up in Seville in 1898. However, the discovery in the Dominican Republic in 1877 of a lead coffin containing bones believed to belong to Christopher Columbus complicated matters and led the Dominicans to claim that the remains in Seville were those of Christopher Columbus’ son Diego.
The new discoveries will be detailed in an upcoming documentary, Columbus’s DNA : The True Ancestrywhich will be broadcast on Saturday on Spanish public channel TVE.
Directed by Regis Francisco López, it is based on a more than 20-year scientific and historical investigation carried out by Lorente, and was presented as a suspense documentary that will also reveal the true origin of the explorer.
The traditional theory is that he originated in Genoa, Italy. However, other European countries claim the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, including Portugal, Ireland, Sweden and Croatia.
Christopher Colombus DNA: The True Ancestry, premieres this Saturday on Spanish public channel TVE.
