Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Portuguese

Christopher Columbus (Colon) as we all know from our history books spent
many years in Portugal where he learned the art of navigating. He married
Dona Filipa Moniz de Perestrelo, daughter of Bartolomeu Perestrelo, Governor
of Madeira Island. They had a legitimate son, Diogo Colon, born in
Portugal.(http://www.apol.net/dightonrock/ columbus_was_100_portuguese.htm).
History books make it so simple and daring when they explain Columbus¹
voyage from Genoa, Italy to Lisbon Portugal. Arrived in Portugal this boy
prodigy learns all he has to learn about navigation and the Portuguese
language to somehow command the respect of the Portuguese and later Spanish
nobility and eventually marry a Portuguese lady of the nobility to later
approach the king of Portugal and ask for financial support for his voyage
to India, sailing West.
The books don't tell you, that to be a foreigner and not to be nicknamed
some thing like the "Genoese" or "Italian" is in itself quiet a deed. For
anyone coming from some other country in those days, the convention was to
be labeled according to the country of origin. "El Greco," himself underwent
such epithet for not being Spanish. Christopher Columbus (Colon) for some
reason was never subject to such a treatment. Besides that, being a
foreigner, Christopher Columbus, who sailed for more than ten years in the
Portuguese caravels, was never thrown overboard. There was a decree by King
John II that only Portuguese citizens could serve on the Portuguese ships -
"All foreigners were thrown overboard, by order of the King". (ibid)
Indeed Christopher Columbus' life is surrounded in mystery. There is a
believe that somehow he may have had Portuguese Jewish ancestry and in an
age when to be Jew became more and more dangerous, he and his son avoided
the whole issue by saying little about their true origins. Beside that, in
Portuguese Jews did flee to Antwerp and Amsterdam in the North, but also to
Italy, especially the area of Livorno, not too far from Genoa.
Focused in discovering lands and conquering lands for the Motherland, the
Portuguese proved themselves superb mariners but very poor chroniclers. No
one ever thought twice about gathering information for the future. History
in that sense favored the more powerful and astute Spain; a much powerful
country had the backing of the Holy Seat, the Pope himself in all its
undertakings. The Canary Islands, for example, which were discovered by the
Portuguese on one of their voyages, were quickly handed over to Spain by
decree of the Pope on Spain's claims to have discovered it before the
Portuguese. This led the Portuguese to move with caution and mark all the
lands they discovered with a "Padrão," a stone marker depicting the
Portuguese shield and other symbols that left no doubt in anyone¹s mind of
whose territory that was one was landing.
It is also known that the Portuguese sent out many scouting expedition to
explore the oceans. It is suspected that the Azores and even Brazil were
discovered many years before they officially were claimed for Portugal.
Christopher Columbus father-in-law himself is said to have in his possession
maps of the new world way in advance of Christopher Columbus' voyage. One
thing is certain, when the Pope agreed to have the New World divided between
Portugal and Spain at the Treaty of Tordesillas in the year 1494, Portugal
made great efforts to pull that line that divided the Atlantic in two areas
of control, as far West as it could. Some suspect that the Portuguese king
knowing of the existence of lands to the West, made sure that they would
have a stake in that part of the world. Not long after that, they
discovered Brazil.
One thing is certain, working for Spain, Columbus, upon his return to Spain
from his voyage to the New World in 1492, was humiliated by the Portuguese,
who thought he and his crew were up to no good. Columbus and his men had
made a promise that on the first land they came upon that they would pray to
the Virgin Mary as thanksgiving for their having survived some major tempest
out at sea. Landing at Santa Maria, one of the Azorean islands, his men
were thrown into jail, and he was kept at bay in his ship until the island
governor agreed to help him out.
Needless to say, many fine Portuguese mariners did choose to work for Spain.
Among them the most famous were Ferdinand Magellan, who was in charge of the
first voyage around the world. Another famous Portuguese working under the
Spanish flag was Cabrillo who was the first European responsible for landing
on California from the Pacific Ocean.(http://www.apol.net/dightonrock/
columbus_was_100_portuguese.htm).

Silvério de Melo
Juncal, Terceira




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