His name in Italian was Cristoforo Colombo and in Spanish it is Cristobal Colon, Christopher Columbus is the anglicised version of his name.Įventually learning three languages, Latin, Portuguese and Castilian in addition to his native Ligurian, Columbus was also well read in the subjects of astronomy, geography and history. Meanwhile, in 1470, a Florentine astronomer, Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli suggested to King Alfonso V of Portugal that sailing west might be a quicker way to reach the Spice Islands.Ĭolumbus was born sometime before the 31st October 1451 in the Republic of Genoa. It was Portuguese sailors that set out to find a route that would take them by sea around the Cape of Good Hope from the Atlantic into the Indian Ocean, a task finally achieved by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488. This journey became very hazardous following the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. West is Bestįor over a thousand of years the European nations had been trading for silk and spices with the Indies and China via the Silk Road, an overland route safeguarded for the last two hundred years by the Mongol Empire. Many people still just call it Columbus Day. In 1987, its name was changed to La Fiesta Nacional (Spain’s National Day), removing any reference to Spanish colonialism. The holiday was originally called El Día de la Hispanidad and was first celebrated in Madrid in 1935 and was made an official public holiday in 1981. Every year, on the 12th October, Spain declares a National Holiday to commemorate Columbus's first sighting of the West Indies.

His date of birth is unclear, no writings in his native language have ever been discovered, there are no authentic portraits and even his final place of rest is disputed.

Login to add to YOUR Favourites or Read Later This article has been visited 12,162 timesįor such a famous man there is surprisingly little detail known about Christopher Columbus. It symbolizes Spain's vast, common heritage with today's American countries, which made up the Spanish Empire, the first global power in world history.īy Nick Nutter | Updated | Andalucia | Events |

The date is a key point for Spain's overseas influence and legacy to the world and to the Americas in particular. National Day of Spain commemorates the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492.

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