The Columbus Code
30 minutes, 2006
Ref: 486

To mark the 500th anniversary since the death of Christopher Columbus we used the latest technology to try and establish where he came from.
Christopher Columbus died on May 20, 1506 in Valladolid, taking many secrets with him to the grave including his country of origin. But now the 500-year mystery may be solved through DNA analysis of people bearing the surnames Colombus. The study covers Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Rousillon, France, Genoa, and Valencia. Six universities from around the world are working on the project, including the Texas lab that identified the victims of the 9/11 attacks in the US. The detective work involves comparing the DNA of people bearing the surnames Colom; and Colombo; (Columbus in Catalan and Italian) with that of DNA taken from the bodies of Christopher Columbus and his son Hernando. The Head of Granada University's Genetic Identification Lab points out that living family members will have the same Y-chromosome DNA as their ancestors bearing the same surname. The report closely follows the DNA investigation and the Catalan Columbus theory, which gained strength in the 1920s, when the Peruvian historian Lluis Ulloa published his studies on Columbus. Since then, many Catalan researchers have continued Ulloa's work. The Colom family spread its branches far and wide. There are Coloms of varied rank and provenance throughout history and many of them belonged to the nobility and moved in princely circles. One was born on a river island near the Catalan city of Tortosa. Intriguingly, the island's name is Genova. Now the Columbus Code is about to be cracked, revealing the truth of a story that has been shrouded in mystery and intrigue. The findings could prove dynamite and shatter some popular myths. Those interviewed on the programme include leading experts in the field.The report was shot in Barcelona, Badalona, Granada, Seville, Ibiza, Majorca, Genoa (Italy), and Maryland (US).