Earth and Space News: Secrets & Lies documentary Columbus

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Thursday, November 10, 2022

Statue in Cuba, Portugal, Honors Columbus as Salvador Fernandes Zarco

Summary: A statue in Cuba, Portugal, honors Columbus as Salvador Fernandes Zarco, son of the 1st Duke of Beja and a daughter of navigator João Gonçalves Zarco.

A 20th-century statue in Cuba, Portugal, honors Columbus as Salvador Fernandes Zarco, illegitimate son of Ferdinand (Nov. 17, 1433-Sep. 18, 1470), 1st Duke of Beja, and Isabel, one of four daughters of Portuguese explorer and navigator João Gonçalves Zarco da Câmara (ca. 1390-Nov. 21, 1471).

On Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006, a bronze statue was unveiled in Cuba, Portugal. The occasion marked the 514th anniversary of landfall Oct. 28, 1492, at the Caribbean island of Cuba by late 15th and early 16th century explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus (Catalan: Cristòfor Colom; Italian: Cristoforo Colombo; Portuguese: Cristóvão Colombo; Spanish: Cristóbal Colón; ca. 1446/1451-May 20, 1506).

The town and municipality of Cuba lies in Beja District (Distrito de Beja) in Southern Portugal's Baixo Alentejo province (Província do Baixo Alentejo). The monument was placed on Largo Cristóvão Colon, in the 66-68-70 block of Rua de Serpa Pinto, between Rua de Álvaro Castelões and Rua do Paço (Old Galician, Old Portuguese paaço, “palace”; from Latin palātium, “palace”).

The statue sits in front of number 68, with two benches to the north and one to the south. The bronze figure faces westerly, opposite Tribunal da Comarca de Cuba (District Court of Cuba). The courthouse approximately marks the former location of the Beja Ducal Palace of Cuba, according to the Municipality of Cuba's (Câmara Municipal de Cuba) Visit Cuba Alentejo website and as stated by American journalist Elizabeth Nash, then Madrid correspondent for London's The Independent, in her Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006, post, "Portuguese village opens up new world of speculation as it lays claim to Columbus."

The bronze sculpture weighs one and one-half tons and measures a height of two meters (6.56 feet). Its granite pedestal weighs seven tons, according to the Visit Cuba Alentejo website.

A half-globe depicting Earth's Northern Hemisphere rests atop the pedestal. The explorer stands with his left foot on eastern Europe and northern Asia and with his right foot on Canada and the United States. He holds a rolled map in his left hand. His upraised right hand, with thumb on right cheekbone and index finger along forehead, shields his eyes as he gazes distantly.

The statue was designed by Portuguese sculptor Alberto Trindade, born 1958 in Portugal's capital and largest city, Lisbon (Portuguese: Lisboa). From 1958 to 1960, he attended Escola de Artes Decorativas António Arroio, a central Lisbon secondary school specializing in applied arts. Trindade lived in the Netherlands (Portuguese: Países Baixos; informally, Holanda) from 1961 to 1989, according to his profile for II Exposição de Artes Plásticas (Second Exposition of Visual Arts), "Arte na Planície," held April 8 to May 30, 2006, by Associação Cultural Arte na Planície in Montemor-o-Novo, in Alentejo Province's Évora District (Portuguese: Distrito de Évora). During his Dutch years, he worked in Rotterdam (Portuguese: Roterdão), according to the statue's description on René and Peter van der Krogt's Columbus Monuments Pages.

Inscriptions on the front and two sides of the square pedestal briefly biographize the honorific statue's historical figure. The front plate states that the statue, created by sculptor Alberto Trindade and offered by José Flamínio Roza, president of Évora-based Fundação Alentejo-Terra Mãe, honors Christopher Columbus as discoverer of the Americas.

"CRISTÓVÃO COLON
Descobridor das Américas
Homenagem da Câmara Municipal de Cuba e do Núcleo de Amigos de Cuba
Obra do escultor Alberto Trindade
Oferecida por José Flamínio Roza,
Presidente da Fundação Alentejo-Terra Mãe
28 outubro 2006"

Entitled "Verdade Histórica" (Historical Truth), the side plaque below the statue's left foot identifies Cristóvão Colon's true name as Salvador Fernandes Zarco, born in Cuba, Portugal, as the son of Infante Dom Fernando, Duke of Beja, and of Donna Isabel Gonçalves Zarco.

"VERDADE HISTÓRICA
O descobridor das américas sempre escondeu
as suas origens e verdadeira identidade.

O mistério e as especulações perduraram mais
de 500 anos, a história aceitou uma incerteza.

Recentemente, notáveis historiadores e
pesquisadores concluiram que "cristóvão colon"
era português.

Filho do Infante D. Fernando, Duque de Beja e de
D. Isabel Gonçalves Zarco, o seu nome era
Salvador Gernandes Zarco e nasceu no Alentejo
em Cuba."

The side plaque below the explorer's right foot is titled "Alentejo terra mãe da descoberta" (Alentejo, Motherland of the Discovery). New World names intentionally memorialized Alentejo places, including Colon's honoring his birthplace by nostalgically giving the name of Cuba to his Oct. 28, 1492, islandic discovery, according to the plaque.

The recreation of the constellation of names around Cuba, Portugal, in proximitous places in the Cuban Caribbean is echoed by Portuguese Canadian author, archaeologist and historian Carlos Evaristo in "Secrets and Lies of Christopher Columbus," a documentary co-hosted with American underwater explorer Dave Horner, American author and documentary filmmaker Paul Perry and released in 2018 by Sakkara Productions (United States) and Crown Pictures (Portugal). "There was no other Cuba in the world at the time except this Cuba here in Alentejo, Portugal," Evaristo emphasizes. The names of more than 40 islands and locations in the northern Caribbean Sea duplicate places adjacent to Cuba, Portugal. Matches include the Caribbean's Neve (English: Nevis; Spanish: Nieves), São Bartolomeu (English: St. Barthelemy, "St. Barts"; Spanish: San Bartolomé) and Trindade (English, Spanish: Trinidad) with the Alentejo's Nossa Senhora das Neves (south of Cuba), São Bartolomeu do Outeiro (north of Cuba) and Trindade (south of Cuba) (time stamp 37:26 to 38:36).

Evaristo receives further refinement of the duplicate names from João Manuel Casaca Português (born ca. 1972), three-term mayor of Cuba since 2013. Português, mayorally titled as Presidente da Câmara Municipal (President of the Municipal Chamber), places the Alentejo names that Columbus bestowed upon his Caribbean discoveries within a radius of 50 kilometres of Cuba, Portugal. He also traces his municipality's name, unique until 1492, back, over two millennia, to the area's Roman occupation (time stamp 38:40-39:43).

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:

Bronze statue by Portuguese sculptor Alberto Trindade honors Christopher Columbus as Cuba, Portugal-born Salvador Fernandes Zarco; Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, 00:14: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, Portugal, CC BY SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Estátua_do_português(%3F)_Cristóvão_Colon_-_Cuba_-_Portugal_(11186467164).jpg; Vitor Oliveira (Portuguese_eyes), CC BY SA 2.0 Generic, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vitor107/11186467164/

"Is Christopher Columbus Who We Think He Is? / Secrets And Lies Of Columbus / Timeline." (1:11:40). Uploaded to YouTube Oct. 3, 2020, by Timeline -- World History Documentaries. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0yoVsZfypQ

For further information:

Associação Cultural Arte na Planície; Ferreira, José Luis; António Inverno; Eduardo Nascimento; Paco Bandeira. "Alberto Trindade: Alberto Trindade nasceu em Lisboa. Em 1958/60 Frequenta a Escola de Arte decorativas António Arroio. Reside na Holanda entre 1961 e 1989. Trabalhos de escultura em bronze, são adquiridos por coleccionadores particulares e oficiais. 1989/2005 -- Executa esculturas em bronze na área surrealista, com desenhos; de Cruzeiro Seixas e Raul Perez. Exposições nas Galerias: António Prates, S.Bento, C.P.S, S. Mamede, Galeria Enes, Convento do Beato, espaço Arte Cultura e Design, (Lisboa), Arte Manifesto (Porto), Casino Estoril, Espaço Livre Arte, Cultura e Design (Paris), Instituições Bancárias, Fundações nacionais e estrangeiras. 2001/2004 -- Arte na leira, esculturas em bronze de sua autoria. 2004/2005 -- Arte Na Planície. Bustos: Últimas décadas, execução de bustos p/ Cruzeiro Seixas, Mário Cesariny, Paco Bandeira, Raul Perez e inúmeros particulares." Page 14. II Exposição de Artes Plásticas "Arte na Planície," 8 de Abril a 30 de Maio de 2006. Homenagem a Manuel D'Assumpção. Monte do Cortiço / Foros do Cortiço / Montemoro O Novo.
Available @ http://docplayer.com.br/7009180-Ii-exposicao-de-artes-plasticas-arte-na-planicie.html

Barata, Manuel Martins. "João Gonçalves Zarco." Zarco Academy of the Arts > Zarco History.
Available @ https://www.zarcoacademyofarts.com/en/3-brand-identity.html

Barca, Antonio Jiménez. "A king without a kingdom." El País English Edition > Profile. Jan. 24, 2013.
Available @ https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2013/01/24/inenglish/1359033031_328531.html

Barreto, Augusto Mascarenhas. O Português Cristóvão Colombo, Agente Secreto do Rei D. João II. Lisboa [Lisbon, Portugal]: Referendo, 1988.

Becher, A.B. (Alexander Bridport), Capt. "The Landfall of Columbus on His First Voyage to America." The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, vol. 26 (1856): 189-203.
Available via JSTOR @ https://www.jstor.org/stable/1798355#metadata_info_tab_contents

beja.com. "Conceição's Convent -- Regional Museum." beja.com > What to See?
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Caminhos de Santiago Alentejo e Ribatejo. "Beja > Cuba." Caminhos de Santiago Alentejo e Ribatejo > Os Caminhos (The Ways) > Caminho Nascente (Eastern Way) > Etapa 6 (Stage 6).
Available @ https://www.caminhosdesantiagoalentejoribatejo.pt/en/os-caminhos/caminho-nascente/
Available @ https://www.caminhosdesantiagoalentejoribatejo.pt/os-caminhos/caminho-nascente/#1562695306131-f2cb2216-4e87

Canelas, Lucinda. "Aqui viveram 'dois gangs' de freiras e uma mulher apaixonada." Público > Ípsilon > Património. 29 de Agosto de 2018 (Aug. 29, 2018).
Available @ https://www.publico.pt/2018/08/29/culturaipsilon/noticia/neste-conventomuseu-viveram-dois-gangues-de-freiras-e-uma-mulher-apaixonada-1842293

Cuba Alentejo. "Edifício do Tribunal da Comarca de Cuba." Cuba Alentejo > As Nossas Recomendações > O Que Visitar > Pontos de Interesse.
Available @ https://visitcubaalentejo.pt/pt/1201/edificio-do-tribunal-da-comarca-de-cuba.aspx

Cuba Alentejo. "Estátua de Cristóvão Colon." Cuba Alentejo > As Nossas Recomendações > O Que Visitar > Pontos de Interesse.
Available @ https://visitcubaalentejo.pt/pt/1134/estatua-de-cristovao-colon.aspx

da Silva, Manuel Luciano. "Columbus was 100% Portuguese!" Dighton Rock > Columbus Day Material. Jan. 6, 1989.
Available @ https://web.archive.org/web/20030222111803/http://www.apol.net/dightonrock/columbus_was_100_portuguese.htm

Engana, Justino. "João Português continua na presidência de Cuba." O Atual > Política. 26/09/2021.
Available @ https://www.oatual.pt/noticias/joao-portugues-continua-na-presidencia-de-cuba

Google Arts & Culture. "Frontispiece of the tomb of Infante D. Fernando." Google Arts & Culture > Places > A-Z > P > Portugal > Batalha Monastery.
Available via Google Arts & Culture @ https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/frontispiece-of-the-tomb-of-infante-d-fernando-unidentified-artist/ogEPZ54pZOFJZw?hl=en

Google Arts & Culture. "Tomb of Infante D. Fernando -- Founder's Chapel. Batalha Monastery, Batalha, Portugal." Google Arts & Culture > Places > A-Z > P > Portugal > Batalha Monastery.
Available via Google Arts & Culture @ https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/tomb-of-infante-d-fernando-founder-s-chapel-unidentified-artist/hgEl2JWcz1yXcQ?hl=en

Guttmacher Institute. "Elizabeth Nash Principal Policy Associate, State Issues." Guttmacher Institute > About > Staff.
Available @ https://www.guttmacher.org/about/staff/elizabeth-nash

Holanda, António de; and João Menelau. Genealogia de D. Manuel Pereira, 3.º conde da Feira. 1534.
Available via Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo @ https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/details?id=4187654
Available via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Genealogia_de_D._Manuel_Pereira,_3.º_conde_da_Feira

Lisboasightseeing. "Cuba -- Alentejo -- Portugal." Lisboasightseeing
Available @ https://www.lisboasightseeing.com/photos_cuba.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Christopher Columbus's Wife Was Madeiran But Was He Really Genoese?" Earth and Space News. Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/10/christopher-columbuss-wife-was-madeiran.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Ferdinand Columbus Biographized His Father as Italian But Born Where?" Earth and Space News. Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/10/ferdinand-columbus-biographized-his.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Lombardy Associates With Columbus and His Wife's Great-Grandparents." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/10/lombardy-associates-with-columbus-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Secrets & Lies Finds Duke of Beja Perhaps Fathered Christopher Columbus." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/11/secrets-lies-finds-duke-of-beja-perhaps.html

Mellett, James S. "Time to revise history on Christopher Columbus." The News-Times > Opinion. Oct. 11, 2012.
Available @ https://www.newstimes.com/opinion/article/James-S-Mellett-Time-to-revise-history-on-3940178.php

Monarquia Portuguesa. "Updated their cover photo." Facebook. Feb. 10, 2021.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/561950930546209/posts/4942756205798971/

Nash, Elizabeth. "Portuguese village opens up new world of speculation as it lays claim to Columbus." Independent > News > World > Europe. Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006.
Available @ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/portuguese-village-opens-up-new-world-of-speculation-as-it-lays-claim-to-columbus-421487.html

Pickering, Keith A. "Just where did Columbus first see the New World?" The Columbus Landfall Homepage > The Columbus Navigation Homepage > Columbus Special Topics.
Available @ http://columbuslandfall.com/ccnav/cclandfl.shtml

Powell, Stephen. "Plains of the Alentejo." Portuguese Notebook. Feb. 28, 2019.
Available @ https://myportuguesenotebook.wordpress.com/2019/02/28/plains-of-the-alentejo/

Real Instituto Cristovão Colom -- Salvador Fernandes Zarco RAHA Study Centre. "Christopher Columbus Honoued as a Native of Cuba, Portugal. The first public screening of the new documentary film 'Secrets and Mysteries of Columbus' took place in Cuba, Alentejo, Portugal, on April 28th with the public endorsement of City Hall and H.R.H.Dom Duarte who is both Duke of Bragança and Duke of Beja. The one hour North American documentary expands on the theory and work of recently deceased Author Captain Augusto Barreto that defended that Christopher Columbus, the Discoverer of the Americas, was in fact a bastard son of Prince Dom. Fernando Duke of Beja, Master of the Order of Christ and of Isabel Zarco, daughter of explorer John Gonçalo Zarco, having been actually named Salvador Fernandes Zarco and born in the Portuguese village of Cuba. According to the painstaking research of Barreto, Columbus hid his true identity having acted as Secret Agent for King John II of Portugal, and in so being, acted as a decoy to divert Spain from the true Water Route to India and the Portuguese secret discoveries in Canada and Brazil until a new Treaty could be drawn up that would secure these secret Portuguese possessions. This theory which has been much of an urban legend since the time of the first Admiral of the Indies was first studied in depth by Portuguese Author Patrocínio Ribeiro in the early 1900's and his work followed up by Captain Augusto Mascarenhas Barreto who dedicated over 40 years to this cause having discovered much solid evidence that backs up this idea. These leads have been the starting point for subsequent books published by dozens of authors. . . ." Facebook. April 28, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/1534183300162280/posts/christopher-columbus-honoured-as-a-native-of-cuba-portugalthe-first-public-scree/2391425077771427/

Ribeiro, Patrocínio. O Carácter Misterioso de Colombo e o problema da sua nacionalidade. Coimbra [Portugal]: Academia de Ciências de Portugal, Imprensa de Universidade, 1916.

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Ribeiro, Patrocinio. A Nacionalidade Portuguesa de Cristovão Colombo. The Portuguese Nationality of Christopher Columbus. Edição Bilingue. Lisboa [Portugal]: Fundação Lusíada, 1998.

Timeline -- World History Documentaries. "Is Christopher Columbus Who We Think He Is? / Secrets And Lies Of Columbus / Timeline." YouTube. Oct. 3, 2020.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0yoVsZfypQ

Valentini, Philipp J.J. "The Landfall of Columbus at San Salvador." Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, new series, vol. VIII (April, 1892-April, 1893): 152-168.
Available @ https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44769379.pdf
Available via HathiTrust @ https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101076884301&view=1up&seq=180
Available via HathiTrust @ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101076884301?urlappend=%3Bseq=180%3Bownerid=27021597768964084-204

van der Krogt, Peter. "Cristóvão Colombo -- Cuba -- Largo Cristóvão Colombo." Van der Krogt Websites > Columbus Monuments Pages > Town/Country > Cuba (Beja distrito) -- PT) > Largo Cristóvão Colombo. Item Code: ptat002; Added: 26 December 2006 / Photograph: 6 January 2011 / Updated: 5 September 2017.
Available @ https://statues.vanderkrogt.net/object.php?webpage=CO&record=ptat002

van der Krogt, Peter. "Cristóvão Colombo -- Cuba -- Rua da Fonte dos Leões." Van der Krogt Websites > Columbus Monuments Pages > Town/Country > Cuba (Beja distrito) -- PT) > Rua da Fonte dos Leões. Item Code: ptat003; Added: 27 November 2016 / Photograph: 27 November 2016 / Updated: 5 September 2017.
Available @ https://vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=CO&record=ptat003

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Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/christophercolum00bedi/page/401/mode/1up

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Secrets & Lies Finds Duke of Beja Perhaps Fathered Christopher Columbus

Summary: Secrets & Lies finds the Duke of Beja perhaps fathered Christopher Columbus, according to the documentary's DNA test of one of the duke's descendants.

Secrets & Lies finds the Duke of Beja perhaps fathered Christopher Columbus, according to a comparison of the deceased explorer's DNA with a DNA test conducted on one of the duke's living descendants, the Duke of Braganza, for the documentary.

American underwater explorer Dave Horner, American author and documentary filmmaker Paul Perry and Portuguese Canadian author, archaeologist and historian Carlos Evaristo examined the parentage of late 15th and early 16th century explorer Christopher Columbus (Catalan: Cristòfor Colom; Italian: Cristoforo Colombo; Portuguese: Cristóvão Colombo; Spanish: Cristóbal Colón; ca. 1446/1451-May 20, 1506) in their co-hosted documentary, "Secrets and Lies of Christopher Columbus." Released in 2018 by Sakkara Productions (United States) and Crown Pictures (Portugal), the documentary quested three conundrums pertaining to the explorer's birth, his possibly Jewish ethnicity and his hypothetical secret agenting for Portugal's King John II (Portuguese: João II; Spanish: Juan II de Portugal; March 3, 1455-Oct. 25, 1495).

Portuguese writer Patrocínio Ribeiro (July 9, 1882-Dec. 2, 1923) is credited as the first proposer of a noble Portuguese identity for Christopher Columbus. He presented his proposal in two publications: O Carácter Misterioso de Colombo e o problema da sua nacionalidade ("The Mysterious Character of Columbus and the Problem of His Nationality"), published in 1916, and A Nacionalidade Portuguesa de Cristovão Colombo ("The Portuguese Nationality of Christopher Columbus"), published posthumously in 1927. The three co-hosts of Secrets & Lies also reference Portuguese writer Augusto Mascarenhas Barreto (Augusto Cassiano Neves Mascarenhas de Andrade Barreto; Jan. 27, 1923-Jan. 3, 2017), who published the results of his decades-long research of Columbus in 1988 in O Português Cristóvão Colombo, Agente Secreto do Rei D. João II ("The Portuguese Christopher Columbus, Secret Agent of King John II").

Barreto concluded that the explorer's real birth name was Salvador Fernandes Zarco, and his birthplace was Cuba, Beja District (Distrito de Beja), Baixo Alentejo province (Província do Baixo Alentejo), southern Portugal. He was fathered by Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu and Beja (Fernando, Infante de Portugal, Duque de Beja e Duque de Viseu; Nov. 17, 1433-Sep. 18, 1470), already married, since 1447, to Beatrice of Portugal (Beatriz de Portugal; June 13, 1430-Sep. 30, 1506). His unmarried mother was Isabel Gonçalves Zarco da Câmara, a daughter of João Gonçalves Zarco da Câmara (ca. 1390-Nov. 21, 1471), the Portuguese explorer who co-discovered the northeastern Atlantic islands Porto Santo in 1418 and Madeira in 1419.

The Duke of Beja and his wife had founded The Royal Monastery of Our Lady of the Conception (O Real Mosteiro de Nossa Senhora da Conceição) in 1459, according to the website for the convent, now the Beja Regional Museum (Museu Regional de Beja). The duke, his wife and Diogo (Infante Diogo of Viseu (1450–1484), the second of their three sons, were buried in the convent, now the Beja Regional Museum (Museu Regional de Beja), also known as Museu Rainha D. Leonor, in honor of the duke's mother, Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (Catalan: Elionor d'Aragó; Portuguese: Leonor de Aragão; May 2, 1402-Feb. 19, 1445).

The Secrets & Lies team aimed to retrieve the Duke of Beja's DNA. Evaristo's viewing the inside of the duke's marble sarcophagus with an endoscopic camera, rather than removing the heft lid, revealed the absence of remains. The empty sarcophagus surprised the team, as Evaristo noted the lack of any documented removal of the duke's remains.

Columbus's hypothesized paternal parentage placed him as grandson of Edward I, King of Portugal (Duarte I de Portugal; Oct. 31, 1391-Sep. 9, 1438), whose reign began Aug. 14, 1433. Duarte I reigned as the second member of the House of Aviz (Casa de Avis), also known as Joanine Dynasty (Dinastia Joanina). Duarte I was succeeded by his younger brother, Afonso V (Jan. 15, 1432-Aug. 28, 1481), who would have been Columbus's great uncle. Afonso V's son, John II (João II; March 3, 1455-Oct. 25, 1495), who reigned as the fourth Joanine monarch, would have been the explorer's first cousin once removed.

The hypothesized royal genealogy for Columbus impelled the three co-hosts of Secrets & Lies to seek DNA retrieval from a first or second generation relative of the Duke of Beja. Their DNA candidate, Miguel de Paz, Hereditary Prince of Portugal and Prince of Asturias (Miguel da Paz, Príncipe de Portugal e das Astúrias; Aug. 23, 1498-July 19, 1500), was the son of John II's first cousin and successor, Manuel I (May 31, 1469-Dec. 13, 1521). Unfortunately, their request for exhumation of Miguel de Paz from his lead-lined, marble sarcophagus in the Royal Chapel of Granada (Capilla Real de Granada) was denied.

Dom Duarte Pio (second right), Duke of Braganza, head of House of Braganza (Casa de Braganza), claimant to defunct Portuguese throne and possible relative of Christopher Columbus, with his wife, Isabel de Herédia (Isabel Inês de Castro Curvello de Herédia de Bragança; born Nov. 22, 1966), and their three children (left to right), Infante Dinis, Duke of Porto (born Nov. 25, 1999); Infanta Maria Francisca, Duchess of Coimbra (born March 3, 1997); eldest son Dom Afonso de Santa Maria (born 25 March 1996); Sintra, Greater Lisbon region, Portuguese Riviera, central Portugal: Monarquia Portuguesa, via Facebook Feb. 10, 2021

Despite two failed DNA retrievals in their attempts for Columbian genealogical matches, the three co-hosts received promising news from Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza (Portuguese: Duarte Pio de Bragança; born 15 May 1945), whose ancestry includes Columbus's possible father, Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu and Beja. The documentary's scientific collaborator, Professor José Antonio Lorente Acosta of southern Spain's University of Granada (Spanish: Universidad de Granada, UGR), had tested a sample of the Duke of Braganza's DNA. Professor Lorente, who has been researching Columbus's DNA since 2003, noted "some DNA connection" between the Duke of Braganza and Christopher Columbus.

The documentary on "Secrets and Lies of Christopher Columbus" concluded with the recognition of the uncleared, yet not dead-ended, mystery of Columbian ancestry and of the likelihood of continued research.

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication

Fernando, Duke of Beja and suggested father of Christopher Columbus; portrait of Infante dô fernãdo by Portuguese miniaturist António de Holanda (1480?1556); decorative elements by João Menelau, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Infante_D._Fernando,_Duque_de_Viseu_(1433-1470)_-_Genealogia_de_D._Manuel_Pereira,_3.º_conde_da_Feira_(1534).png

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Barreto, Augusto Mascarenhas. O Português Cristóvão Colombo, Agente Secreto do Rei D. João II. Lisboa [Lisbon, Portugal]: Referendo, 1988.

beja.com. "Conceição's Convent -- Regional Museum." beja.com > What to See?
Available @ https://beja.digital/en/65-conceicao-convent-regional-museum

Fundação Histórico-Cultural Oureana. "Relics of Portuguese Saints May Solve Mystery of Columbus' Identity." Fundação Histórico-Cultural Oureana > Ano: 2021. May 19, 2021.
Available @ https://www.fundacaooureana.pt/2021/05/23/relics-of-portuguese-saints-may-solve-mystery-of-columbus-identity/

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