The Grave of Christopher Columbus
With someone as famous as Christopher Columbus, who sailed the Atlantic and paved the way for European colonization of the Americas, you would think his grave would be well-known. Even in death, Columbus made a number of voyages and now no one is really sure where his remains reside.
Christopher Columbus Painting by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, Public Domain Image from Wikipedia
Christopher Columbus’ Death and Return to Hispaniola
Christopher Columbus died in Spain in 1506 in the town of Valladolid where he was immediately buried. Shortly thereafter, his son Diego had his remains moved to the monastery at Seville. However, Columbus’ final wishes were to be interred in Hispaniola so Diego started planning to complete a cathedral and have his father’s remains moved to the island. However, Diego died in 1526, before the cathedral could be finalized and was buried next to his father in Seville. In 1542, the cathedral was finally finished and Diego’s widow arranged for both father and son to be moved there, where they remained for two centuries.
The Tomb of Christopher Columbus, Seville Cathedral, Spain, Photo: Miguel Ángel, Wikipedia
Second and Third Voyage at Sea (Perhaps)
The Spanish were ousted from the island in 1795 and took the remains of their beloved explorer with them to their Caribbean base in Havana, Cuba, leaving Diego’s remains on Hispaniola. A century later a construction worker found a box with a short inscription, indicating it bore the remains of “Admiral Columbus”. However, both Christopher and Diego used the title “Admiral Columbus” while they were alive making the identification based on inscriptions tricky. The question quickly arose as to who had which explorer. In 1898 after the Spanish-American War, the Spanish were routed from Cuba and returned to Spain, once again carrying the remains of their intrepid explorer, or so they thought.
Controversy
The Dominican Republic and Spain both claim they possess the remains of the famous admiral and that the other nation has the lesser-loved son. Even DNA testing is inconclusive as to which nation is right, and the theory has been floated that Christopher Columbus’ remains may have been split up and may actually reside in both countries. To date, the controversy rages on and the location of the real grave of Christopher Columbus remains uncertain.
Faro a Colon aka The Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Photo: Jefry Lagrange Reyes, Wikipedia
The remain purported to be of Christopher Columbus currently located in the Dominican Republic can be seen in The Columbus Lighthouse (Faro a Colón), in Santo Domingo. If these are the real admiral’s remains, then Faro a Colón is the grave of Christopher Columbus, as well as his mausoleum and a museum.
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February 16th, 2012 at 9:00 am
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