The Denver Jewish news., 1925-07-30
Origin of Columbus
BY JOSE NJ. EsTRUGo

World. / have gathered all available
data which conclusively proved that
Columbus was born in Pontevedha,
Spain, of Jewish parents, having em-
braced Catholicism some time prior
TO the expulsion of his co-rcligionists,
when thousands upon thousands Of
them were subjectlng themselves TO
baptism in order to avoid persecution
and expulsion.
Until very recently, Italian writers
have been reluctant to give up CO.
lumbus as one of their glories, in
spite of unmistakablc proof that he
was not born in Genoa; that he never
signed his name Colombo" but al
ways Colon" in Spanish, and that he
did not write any Of his memoirs or
documents in Italian, nor spoke that
language. However, some of those
writer's are coming to realize that
this matter deserves serious research
as shown by letter recently I'D
dressed to the Mayor of Pontcvedra,
which, translated reads us follows:
Rome, April s, 1925.
To the Mayor of the Municipality of
Pontevedra, Spain.
Sir:-An Italian may well feel
sorry if, among the glories of his
country he cannot name that of CO.
lumbus' birth; geniuses belong to hu-
manity, and il Christopher Columbus
was not an Italian, it is just and de-
sirable that he be Spaniard, since
it was SPANS immortal Queen, Isa-
bel the Catholic, who provided means
of carrying out his daring undertake
ing.
81 am necessarily interested in all
Colombian literature, and / beg you,
Mr.. Mayor, kindly to send to this in
stitute all publications concerning
the birth and life of Columbus, and
such information as you may possess
supporting the thesis that the discov-
ercr of America was Spanish by birth
also.
"If we, Italians and Spaniards,
must lose common glory in the ori-
gin of Columbus, our Peninsula, new
ertheless, can boast of greater world
glories, since the Renaissance, to
which the school of Cordoba and
Sevilla contributed so much.
"History, no doubt, has its rights,
and if it pronounces itself in way
from which there is no appeal, that
Columbus was Spanish, all those who
study seriously, must abide by this
truth, and also cooperate in propa-
eating it. Yours very truly,
PROFESSOR LUIGI BACCI,
General Secretary, Institute Cristo-
for Colombo"
I sincerely hope that the informa-
tion sent from Pontevedra, the home
town of Columbus, be convincing. 1t
is well to remember also that the
schools of Cordoba and Sevilla, which
contributed so much to the Renais-
sance, We're conducted by Jewish
scholars and professors, who were
the torch bearers in the midst of the
darkness of the middle ages. Spain
has fully acknowledged this fact and
done them justice, in placing highly
among her glories such men as Mai
monides, Avidebron, Aben Ezra,
Aben Estrugo, Haievy el Castellano,
Aben Gebirol, ETC., who have done so
much for humanity and Judaism.
History is not complete, and many
additions and discoveries are being
made every day. That which was
taught us yesterday may become al
together erroneous tomorrow. The
fable that the pious Queen Isabella
had TO pawn her jewels to finance the
expedition should be no longer taught
to our children. Jewish money and
brains served to finance and further
the discovery of the New World
Oviedo, an old Spanish historian,
wrote in the characteristic style of
- the epoch: "Porque avia necesidad
dc dinero pal facer su primera
armada de las Indias su descubri-
miento, las presto el escribano de
racion, Luis de Santangel." Luis de
Santangel has provided the money to
equip the first fleet for the discovery
of the Indies.) And who was Luis de
Santangel? Why, the counsellor of
the Kingdom, the son of Rabbi Aza-
rias Ginillo. He and other Maranos
(Crypto-Jewish Christian converts)
made the loan without interest.
The brains also were furnished by
Jews. Nobody ignores that the
charts used by Columbus were drawn
by his intimate friend, Abraham
Zacuto, famous astronomer and nau-
tologist, the last Jewish professor to
teach in Salamanca University.
Long before the arrival of the May