Solutions through science uncover the first Columbus tomb in Valladolid
Years of scholarly work, a plan devised by a Franciscan monk, and confirmation from a georadar all point to a precise spot for the sailor’s initial burial in the heart of Valladolid.
The investigations reached a pivotal stage this week, with results shared publicly across two consecutive days. Madrid Maritime Museum presented the conclusion: the very first tomb of Christopher Columbus is believed to lie beneath a busy avenue on Constitución Street, right at the center of the city. The proposal suggests that two thirds of the chapel sit atop the street while the remaining portion lies beneath a bank that stands there today.
A preliminary survey is essential, yet the georadar data strongly indicate the area with a high degree of certainty. There appears to be no other plausible explanation, according to architect Juan Luis Sanz who led the project with historian Marcial Castro.
The inquiry grew from a prior line of research in 2005 that historian Castro identified as genetic tracing related to the discoverer’s remains.
The plan to unseal the tomb now housed in Seville Cathedral involved examining the original burial context, where gold, silver, coal, lead, brick, and mortar were once found. The team sought to determine whether these elements connected to Columbus’s first interment and if the remains had any association with later moves.
Castro noted with satisfaction that not only was the site pinpointed, but the chapel’s location was clarified as well. It was a challenging task, yet the direction of the search ultimately yielded a coherent picture.
Columbus died in Valladolid in 1506 under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Court of Ferdinand. It is noted that he was likely buried in the city’s San Francisco convent, possibly without full awareness by the chapel’s owners at that time.
Historically, the explorer’s remains were believed to travel to Cartuja de Sevilla, then onward to the Dominican Republic and Havana, before returning to Seville where they are reportedly kept today.
Researchers also recreated the San Francisco convent, now disappeared, which stood near the Plaza Mayor in Valladolid.
The fieldwork perspective emerged in 2005, but confirmation awaited additional data. In 2020, Valladolid’s City Council conducted an excavation for the skeletal remains of Red Hugh O’Donnell, an Irish noble who had been a rebel leader. The operation revealed a wall from one of the monastery’s chapels, which, when combined with other findings, helped georadar map the remaining wall lines.
Further discoveries suggested that the chapels of other renowned Renaissance figures would occupy the same stretch of street, including Fray Antonio de Guevara (1451-1602), bishop of Mondoñedo and a prolific writer, as well as Hernando de Cabezón, a royal organist (1541-1602).
“Digging in this area requires substantial investment,” Castro remarked. “There appears to be something metallic at the center of the chapel that drew our attention. When a digging project finally happens, it will present a clear opportunity to uncover more.”