Christopher Columbus is traditionally known to have been born in Genoa, Italy, though debates have arisen over the years, proposing that he may have been from Spain, Portugal, or other regions. A recent study using historical text and genetics has suggested that Columbus might have been from a region different from what is traditionally accepted.
Researchers from Spain’s University of Granada and Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona analyzed a document called “Pleitos colombinos” – a legal document in which Columbus’s family claimed lineage to nobility, to receive prestige and economic benefits. Along with this, they also assessed the DNA of hundreds of men from regions like Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and compared it with that of Columbus’s brother.
Credence was found to the theory that Columbus was actually from the Crown of Aragon, an area that is now part of modern Spain, in regions like Catalonia, Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sicily, Sardinia, Naples, and Greece.
However, like any historical mystery, the study should be considered in light of other research and evidence, and the exact origins of Columbus may still remain a subject of debate. Please refer to the original source if you want to dive deeper into the details of the study.
Centuries-old mystery of Christopher Columbus’s true origins revealed in study
Christopher Columbus is traditionally known to have been born in Genoa, Italy, though debates have arisen over the years, proposing that he may have been from Spain, Portugal, or other regions. A recent study using historical text and genetics has suggested that Columbus might have been from a region different from what is traditionally accepted.
Researchers from Spain’s University of Granada and Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona analyzed a document called “Pleitos colombinos” – a legal document in which Columbus’s family claimed lineage to nobility, to receive prestige and economic benefits. Along with this, they also assessed the DNA of hundreds of men from regions like Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and compared it with that of Columbus’s brother.
Credence was found to the theory that Columbus was actually from the Crown of Aragon, an area that is now part of modern Spain, in regions like Catalonia, Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sicily, Sardinia, Naples, and Greece.
However, like any historical mystery, the study should be considered in light of other research and evidence, and the exact origins of Columbus may still remain a subject of debate. Please refer to the original source if you want to dive deeper into the details of the study.
