L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 36 L'Italo-Americano turies, Columbus has been a figure claimed by both Spain and Italy, each nation eager to associate him with their own historical narratives. In Spain, Columbus is celebrat- ed as the explorer who initi- ated the Age of Discovery, helping Spain build its vast e m p i r e a c r o s s t h e N e w World. His voyages, funded b y K i n g F e r d i n a n d a n d Queen Isabella, are seen as the foundation of Spain's golden age of exploration and conquest. His legacy is connected to Spain's history of imperial expansion, and for many, the possibility that he was Spanish would only solidify his place as a nation- al hero . In Italy, Columbus represents a different set of values: as a native of Genoa, he is seen as part of the mar- itime tradition that was so important to the region dur- i n g t h e m e d i e v a l a n d Renaissance periods. Italian scholars and citizens alike take great pride in Colum- bus as one of their own, an I t a l i a n e x p l o r e r w h o changed the course of histo- ans: leading the charge is Gabriella Airaldi, a well- r e s p e c t e d G e n o a - b a s e d scholar who has extensively studied Columbus's life and origins. Airaldi and her col- leagues maintain that docu- m e n t a r y e v i d e n c e o v e r - w h e l m i n g l y s u p p o r t s t h e l o n g - s t a n d i n g b e l i e f t h a t C o l u m b u s w a s b o r n i n G e n o a , I t a l y , a n d n o t i n Spain.. They cite historical records, including contracts and letters where Columbus r e f e r r e d t o h i m s e l f a s a Genoese citizen. These docu- m e n t s t r a c e C o l u m b u s ' s f a m i l y o r i g i n s t o G e n o a , where his father was a wool w e a v e r . F u r t h e r m o r e , Columbus's use of Castilian Spanish in his writings has been explained as a result of his many years in the service of the Spanish Crown, rather than a sign of Spanish birth . W h i l e f e d b y a c a d e m i c d e b a t e i t ' s i m p o r t a n t t o r e m e m b e r t h a t t h e c l a s h over Columbus' origins taps into broader questions about national identity and cul- tural heritage. For cen- ry by navigating the Atlantic Ocean. B u t t h e d e b a t e o v e r Columbus' origins also high- lights the complex histor- i c a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s i n which he lived. Born in the late 15th century, he lived in a world of religious, cultural, and political upheaval. And if he was, indeed, of Jewish descent, this would provide a n e w d i m e n s i o n t o h i s story, explaining why much of his early life is shrouded in mystery. Columbus lived during the time of the Span- ish Inquisition, when Jews faced intense persecution and were forced to convert to Christianity or flee. The possibility he was a conver- so would add a layer of com- plexity to his efforts to gain the favors of the Catholic M o n a r c h s o f S p a i n , a n d secure funding for his voy- ages. On the Italian side, histo- rians remain unconvinced by the genetic evidence pro- v i d e d b y t h e S p a n i s h researchers; they argue that DNA alone is not enough to determine Columbus's true o r i g i n s , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n weighed against the abun- dance of documentary proof t h a t h e w a s f r o m G e n o a . Airaldi points out that the genetic results, while inter- esting, are speculative at best and cannot outweigh t h e c o n c r e t e h i s t o r i c a l records linking Columbus to Italy. Furthermore, the idea that Columbus hid his Jew- ish heritage is seen by Ital- ian scholars as a conjecture, r a t h e r t h a n a c o n c l u s i o n based on solid evidence . In the end, the question of Columbus' true nationali- ty may never be definitively a n s w e r e d . T h e D N A e v i - d e n c e p r e s e n t e d b y D r . Lorente and his team did rekindle the debate, but it remains contested, especial- ly by those who support the traditional Genoese narra- tive. And while the diatribe will likely never end, Colum- bus's life story remains a reflection of the complex and multifaceted histories of both Italy and Spain, as well as the broader context of European exploration and expansion. researchers concluded that Columbus may have been a Sephardic Jew with roots in the Crown of Aragon, a r e g i o n i n n o r t h e a s t e r n S p a i n . T h i s t h e o r y a l s o posits that Columbus might have hidden his Jewish ori- g i n s d u e t o t h e S p a n i s h Inquisition, in a time when Jews were forced to convert to Christianity or face perse- cution. Supporters of the t h e o r y p o i n t o u t t h a t Columbus wrote primarily i n C a s t i l i a n S p a n i s h a n d never in Italian which, they argue, lends credibility to the notion that he was Span- ish. And then, it is widely known that the funding for C o l u m b u s ' v o y a g e s c a m e also from figures such as Luis de Santángel, who him- self was of Jewish descent and an important converso (a Jew who had converted to Catholicism) in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella . H o w e v e r , L o r e n t e a n d Castro's work, as well as the ensuing documentary, has been met with strong oppo- sition from Italian histori- A s C o l u m b u s Day was cele- brated this year i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , o n t h e other side of the Atlantic, a n e w a n d h i g h l y c h a r g e d debate over Christopher Columbus' nationality reignited between Spain and Italy. The catalyst for this renewed controversy was the release of the documentary, Colón ADN. Su verdadero o r i g e n o n R T V E , o n e o f S p a i n ' s m o s t p o p u l a r T V channels: directed by Régis Francisco López, the doc- umentary presented findings f r o m o v e r 2 0 y e a r s o f research led by forensic sci- entist Dr. José Antonio Lorente from the Universi- ty of Granada. The study, w h i c h f o c u s e d o n D N A a n a l y s i s o f C o l u m b u s ' s r e m a i n s , c h a l l e n g e s t h e long-held belief that Colum- b u s w a s b o r n i n G e n o a , Italy, suggesting instead that he may have been of Span- ish-Jewish origin. Needless to say, the claim triggered a fierce debate between Span- ish and Italian historians, each defending their coun- try's connection to the leg- endary explorer . Whichever opinion one has on Columbus' origins, it must be admitted that the work carried out by the team o f a c a d e m i c s b e h i n d t h e documentary is outstanding, a s i t i n c l u d e s d e c a d e s o f research, also involving the exhumation and analysis of C o l u m b u s ' s b o n e s , a l o n g with those of his son Her- n a n d o a n d h i s b r o t h e r Diego. The team, led by Dr. Lorente and historian Mar- c i a l C a s t r o , c o m p a r e d Columbus's DNA with sam- p l e s f r o m a c r o s s E u r o p e , w i t h t h e a i m t o s o l v e t h e longstanding mystery of his true origins. As more than 25 countries laid claim to being his birthplace at one point or another, the regions t e s t e d i n c l u d e d n o t o n l y I t a l y a n d S p a i n b u t a l s o places as far afield as Scot- land and Norway . After an extensive process o f c o m p a r i s o n , t h e Christopher Columbus is widely considered Italian, but Spanish researchers have recently presented a controversial study that says otherwise (Image created with the aid of DALL-E 2) Christopher Columbus's origins: DNA sparks new debate between Spain and Italy FRANCESCA BEZZONE HERITAGE MEMORIA IDENTITÀ STORIA RADICI

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