Where Did Christopher Columbus Come From? DNA Study Aims To Discover

There are several theories about Columbus' origins - be it the Italian port city of Genoa, which most historians believe, or Spain or Portugal.

Researchers said Wednesday they will restart a DNA study of the remains of Christopher Columbus to try to settle the question of where the explorer came from. Was Columbus from the Italian port city of Genoa, as most historians believe? Or was he Spanish or Portuguese? There are several theories. Five centuries after his death in 1506, this study could finally end the debate over the geographic origin of the navigator whose voyages on behalf of the Spanish monarchs between 1492 and 1504 opened the door to Europe's colonisation of the Americas. The results of this "pioneering study" are expected in October, Jose Antonio Lorente, a professor of forensic medicine at Granada who is leading the investigation, told a news conference.