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Welcome to a new blog! This one is about Christopher Columbus. A very important person here in Sevilla. But not everyone knows why he was so important here. Not very unusual, because he was Italian! We will tell you everything about him.
Christopher Columbus is born in Italy, Genua. He went just like almost every other young man in his time to the sailor school. Columbus always had the dream to find another way to Asia. The already established route ran all the way along and around Africa. He thought, if you cross the north Atlantic Ocean, you’ll be in Asia way quicker. Christopher went all the way to Portugal, to ask the king and queen if they could finance him. They didn’t think his plan would work. So they said no. But Columbus didn’t want to give up. He went to Sevilla and asked the king Ferdinand of Aragón and queen Isabella I of Castile if they could finance him. They believed him and on September 6th, 1492 he left for Asia! He thought that until he died. But little did he know, he discovered the south of America.
They say that after Columbus died in 1506 he traveled around the world as well. First, they buried him in Valladolid. But 3 years later his son Diego buried him again in Sevilla. But when Diego died, Columbus body his went to the cathedral in Santo Domingo. But in the 19th century the Spanish people brought Columbus back to Sevilla. Together with his huge grave. The tomb of Columbus is carried by figures representing the kings of the four regions of Spain: Castilla, Leon, Navarra, and Aragon.
Most people don’t know why Columbus was so famous here in Sevilla. On the first sight Sevilla doesn’t look like a big port city because it’s not directly connected with the sea. But Sevilla had one of the most imported harbors of Spain back in the days. It all started with the king and queen who financed him, and he left from Sevilla. And after the discovery of the Americans Sevilla became the economic center of Spain. There is also a big statue in honor of Columbus here in Sevilla. And the tomb of Columbus here in the cathedral. And in the archive of Sevilla you can find the diaries from Columbus! For more information about the archive and other opinions, see this link.
And also, in our tour we visit the archive and the statue from Columbus. Curious? Click here.