According to experts, however, there is uncertainty regarding the origin of the sold copy and whether the author of the text is really a Genoese sailor.
The text, with the Latin title De insulis nuper inventus (On the Newly Discovered Island), was printed in Rome roughly 40 years after the invention of printing, and thus belongs to rare incunabula.
The Spanish royal court circulated the text of the letter throughout Europe to promote the discovery of a new continent. The Latin text also includes an introduction in which Columbus is described as a man “to whom our age owes a great debt”.
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In the text se according to El País describes the landscape of Hispaniola and other local islands in the vicinity, as well as the local population. The text was originally written in Spanish and then translated into Latin, which at the time functioned as an international language for the educated classes.
The letter was addressed to Gabriel Sánchez, who was the treasurer of the court of Queen Isabella of Castile of Spain, who financed Columbus’ voyage.
However, according to some experts, there are doubts whether Columbus is the real author of the text. Columbus biographer Felipe Fernández-Armesto believes that the text was probably written at the Spanish royal court.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
A print of Christopher Columbus’ letter from 1494 is in the possession of the Library of Congress in Washington
According to the newspaper El País, the origin of the sold copy is not even completely clear. According to Christie’s auction house, the incunabula comes from a Swiss private library. However, there is no further information about its previous existence.
In the 1990s, it was discovered that four copies of De insulis nuper inventus had been stolen in Italy, the Vatican and Spain. According to Margaret Ford of Christie’s, the auction house checked the information and found nothing suspicious.
Despite doubts, the document sold for double the price Christie’s had estimated.
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2023-10-20 15:41:05
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