For centuries myths have been woven around Christopher Columbus. Was it really Genoese? Convert? Or did a dark secret cover up? A renowned historian has just thrown by land four and the most widespread beliefs about the discoverer of America, in an interview for ABC.
In this sense, Mira Carballos denounces that many of the current versions about the navigator They do not resist the slightest historiographic analysis. “We are attending a market revisionism.” Its objective: to separate the legend of the real character and return the prominence to the documented history.
It was not Catalan, Valencian or Galician
The historian, one of the most respected voices in colonial historiography, makes it clear: “There is no doubt that Columbus was Genoese“. It is supported by notarial documents, their own testament and the words of contemporary chroniclers such as Antonio Gallo. Although several theories point to Iberian or even secret origins, Mira Carballos insists that no documentary is supported: “Everything else is myth or speculation“.
DNA cannot rewrite history
The recent one documental de RTVE that raises a Sephardic Columbus has caused a stir. But Mira Carballos is blunt: “Without a rigorous historical approach, The documentary conclusions lack scientific validity “. He criticizes that the genetic studies cited have not even gone through scientific review: “A theory cannot cancel centuries of documented evidence “.
Representation of Cristóbal Colón's journey
Serious historians have no doubt
The historian admits the possibility of a Judeoconverso origin by Colón's mother. However, he clarifies: “That does not change. Columbus was a practicing and devout Christian “. This identity was key in its Relationship with Catholic Monarchs and his access to the court. ”
“Any expert with historiographic training knows that the Genoese origin is more than demonstrated,” says Mira Carballos. And he points out that those who defend another thesis often ignore or distort the primary documents. For him, the insistence on alternative versions responds more to nationalist or sensationalist desires that to serious investigation.
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The figure of Christopher Columbus will continue to awaken debates, but as Esteban Mira Carballos recalls, not everything is worth in the name of the “Historical reinterpretation “. Faced with theories without documentary support, serious research continues to point in a clear direction: Columbus was Genoese, a skilled navigator, a convinced Christian and protagonist of an era of radical changes.
