Have you ever heard of Christopher Columbus? Christopher Columbus is one of the greatest discoverers and navigators of all time!
He was born in Genoa in Italy, although there are doubts that he may have been of another nationality, even Portuguese as stated by the author Manuel Luciano da Silva!
Did you know that before the 1400s Europeans did not know that the American continent existed? That said, Christopher Columbus intended to reach the Orient, namely India and China by sailing westwards in the Atlantic Ocean, unlike the Portuguese who were going through Africa.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus with Castilian ships reached some islands near the American mainland. He discovered the continent to where in the future so many Azoreans and Portuguese would emigrate, namely to places like the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Venezuela, among others.
Something interesting to mention is that he passed through the Azores on his return journey in February 1493. He stopped in Santa Maria, and despite initially not being well received by the Portuguese on this island, he fuelled his ship, the “Niña” and his men prayed in the small chapel in the parish of Anjos in Santa Maria.
Last modified: 16 de November, 2021
