It is likely that during his lifetime, and even during the centuries following his death, no one doubted the origins of Christopher Columbus. He was in fact born in Genoa in 1451. His father, Domenico Colombo, originally from Lombardy, would have been a weaver in this city in north-western Italy, on the Ligurian coast. The Italian origin of the most famous of explorers therefore seemed clearly established. A historical hypothesis reinforced in 1931 by the publication of documents written by Christopher Columbus himself. In one of them, dated February 22, 1498, he ordered that his Genoese property remain in the hands of his family under the pretext that he was born there. With this proof written in black and white, the question of the origins of Christopher Columbus seemed definitively closed. However, in recent years, the debate has been rekindled. For some researchers, the explorer is indeed not who we think. What if he had fooled us?
An uncertain origin, claimed by many countries!
Several clues cast doubt on this Genoese origin and from a stronger Catholic. A vagueness which led to theemergenceemergence many hypotheses. It has thus been proposed that Christopher Columbus was actually born in Portugal, Spain, Majorca, even Corsica, Sweden, Greece or even Scotland! None of these alternative hypotheses, however, had been supported by irrefutable evidence. But on October 12, the broadcast of a documentary caused trouble. It reveals the results of a scientific study carried out over twenty years by researchers from the University of GrenadeGrenadewho claim that the discoverer of the Americas would not be of Italian origin at all, but Spanish Jewish.
A DNA analysis which would reveal Sephardic origins
The theory is not new. Until now, it was based on the interpretation of certain characters and terms written in his letters, which suggest that he had hidden Jewish origins. In Spain, the surname Colon is more frequently worn by Jews. But the documentary brings new elements. The study is in fact based on the analysis of theADNADN found on the (incomplete) skeleton of the explorer, buried in the cathedral of Seville. These data were compared to those obtained by analyzes of remains taken from Giacomo, one of Christopher Columbus’ brothers, and from Fernand, his second son. The results would thus point to a Sephardic Jewish origin. But why, in this case, would Christopher Columbus himself suggest that he was of Genoese and Catholic origin?
Christopher Columbus is said to have hidden his origins to avoid persecution
The explanation would be found in the historical context. At the end of the 15th centurye century, Spain indeed underwent religious unification under the aegis of Catholicism. Jewish and Muslim communities were persecuted, forced to convert or leave the country, under penalty of having to face the Inquisition. The “false converts” are hunted down and we then witness a mass migration of the Jewish community. However, in 1492, Christopher Columbus began a series of voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain itself. To avoid exile and the Inquisition, did the explorer convert, hiding his true origins? This is what the documentary offers.
Results contested by the scientific community
A revelation which, however, leaves a large part of the scientific community skeptical. Firstly because the results presented have not yet been the subject of a scientific publication and have therefore not been peer-reviewed. In everyday life The Countrythe professor in geneticgenetic Antonio Salas also raises criticisms of the scientific approach, stating “ that there is no chromosomechromosome Y who can accurately and exclusively define a Sephardic Jewish origin ».
For now, it seems that the mystery of the origins of Christopher Columbus remains intact!
