Research confirms authenticity of Christopher Columbus’ remains in Spain | Culture

Researchers have confirmed with “absolute reliability” that the remains in a tomb in Seville’s cathedral belong to Christopher Columbus, said forensic scientist José Antonio Lorente, professor of legal medicine at the University of Granada in Spain. This conclusion comes after more than 20 years of research and the application of advanced DNA analysis techniques. A preliminary genetic study from 2003 indicated a “high probability” that the remains were Columbus’s; However, due to the technology available at the time, there was still a margin of error.

Columbus’ bones have been kept in a tomb in Seville Cathedral since 1899, when control of Cuba passed from Spain to the United States and Spanish authorities abandoned Havana, where the explorer’s remains had been buried until then. A series of haphazard transfers over the centuries – first to the Spanish cities of Valladolid and later to Seville, then to Santo Domingo and Cuba – raised questions about whether the bones might have been lost or replaced during these transitions. Dominican Republic authorities even claim that Columbus’ body never left the island and remains buried in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo.

In 2003, historian Marcial Castro and José Antonio Lorente were given permission to open the tomb in Seville. In a coffin they discovered small bone fragments mixed with soil. The DNA from these fragments was compared with the DNA of Columbus’ son Hernando, who is also buried in the cathedral, and with that of his brother Diego. The results were positive, but inconclusive. The destruction of 0.1 gram of bone per analysis forced the study to stop. Researchers decided to wait for advances in DNA analysis technology before proceeding with the genetic comparisons.

That moment came in 2020 when Spanish broadcaster RTVE launched an investigation into the explorer, the results of which will be revealed in a documentary on October 12. Until now, the most widely accepted hypothesis was that Columbus was of Genoese descent. The University of Granada conducted this research under the direction of José Antonio Lorente, one of the world’s leading forensic scientists and an employee of several international police forces, including the FBI.

To conduct the research, numerous remains of individuals possibly related to the discoverer were analyzed. More than 25 countries and regions in Europe claim to be the birthplace of Columbus, including Italy, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, France, England, Scotland, Hungary, Ireland, Croatia, the Spanish territories of Galicia, Catalonia, Valencia, Navarre and Mallorca. There is also speculation that he could be a Sephardic Jew or Agote, a minority group that suffered persecution in France since the Middle Ages and settled in Navarre.

DNA tests were carried out in laboratories in Spain, the United States, Mexico and Italy. To validate each test, all experts had to come to the same conclusions. “The process was carried out independently, without communication between the clinics, ensuring the objectivity of the data,” said Lorente, who acknowledged that this work was the most important undertaking of his career.

The results of the research will be published at the end of this month in a prestigious international scientific journal.

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