In 1492, did Pedro Scotto sail the ocean blue?....Can Historian be Trusted?

In 1492, did Pedro Scotto sail the ocean blue?....Can Historian be Trusted?

www.abc.net.au

The great navigator who opened up the American continents to Europe was Pedro Scotto - the real name of the 15th century explorer known as Christopher Columbus, according to a Spanish historian.

Alfonso Ensenat de Villalonga disputes the usual opinions about the explorer's origins - that he was the son of a weaver in Genoa, Italy, or that he was from Catalonia or Galicia in Spain, or of Corsican or Portuguese origin.

He was from Genoa but was "the son of shopkeepers, not weavers, and he was baptised Pedro, not Christopher," Villalonga told Spain's ABC newspaper.

And his family name was Scotto, not Italian but of Scottish origin.

"He had light-coloured eyes and freckles. He also had blond hair even though it quickly turned white," he said.

"That's how his contemporaries described him. Nothing like the traditional images (of him), which are totally invented."

Mr Villalonga cites a chronicle of Catholic kings written by Lucio Marineo Siculo, who refers in his writings to "Pedro Columbus", not Christopher.

The historian also claims that the navigator once worked for a pirate called Vincenzo Columbus, and adopted that family name in order not to "expose" his relations.

Mr Villalonga says his research involved combing the archives in the Genoa region along with those in the Spanish history academy and national library.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is one thing that I always thought the Historians will not get wrong.....Christopher Columbus Discovered America.....Well they got the name wrong. His real name was Pedro Scotto. Anyway whatever his real name is, why do they say he discovered America when there were people already living there? What I want to Point out here is Whether you think Historians can be trusted and do you believe that the History you are being taught is correct?

www.abc.net.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

i don't know where any of you pulled this one from
but Cristobal Colon records are well noted as Spain funded the trip and the sailing charters are so as well
the Columbus name seems an anglization or some "linnaen" conversion.
perhaps this Scotto was a sailor on one of his ships.. or like the Painter "El greco" was a name referring to where he was from but whatever flag you wave and language you speak will be where you are regarded from..
it is possible as well that Pedro Christopher was one in the same -often people are named more than once
Simon Peter anyone? George "Dubya"... History remeber one as Peter the rock which the church was built and the other as Bush II or "W" which niether is his name

th and the Vikings have been since credited for finding NorthAmerica, but they did nothing with it...come the Spanish and well we know how that's worked out.
there may be a load of half-truths in all history but no huge conspiracy, really the people who funded the trip can clay the rules ...

[edit on 8-3-2009 by fiorano]

Anyway, Cristobal Colon (yes, that was his real name) wasn't by any definition the discoverer of America.

• The first humans to discover the continent that would come to be known as America crossed the Bering Straits from Eurasia many thousands of years ago. Their descendants are today's Native Americans.
  
• Colon (or Columbus) wasn't even the first European to discover America. I believe that honour goes to a group of Vikings from Iceland.
  
• Columbus never landed on the American continent. What he realy discovered were some islands in the Caribbean.