A secret Jew who was appointed the first Governor of the West Indies which was basically the title and position of the Viceroy of New Spain? Right after the Reconquista? How much BS is enough? Sky's the limit? Contrary to modern attempts to obscure his background, Columbus' Genoese origins remain well-documented and undisputed.
In the 16th century, Petar Ohmuchevich, a wealthy Bosnian ship owner based in the Republic of Ragusa (today's Dubrovnik), joined the Spanish Armada along with his brothers. He had aspirations to nobility but to be accepted, he had to prove that all his ancestors going back 4 generations (or more) were of noble origins and Catholics. For this purpose, he ordered a forgery called the "Illyrian heraldry" which includes the coat of arms of various Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian noble families, including his own, of course. Long story short, Petar Ohmuchevich became Don Pedro de Ivella Ohmuchevich Gargurich, an admiral of the Spanish Armada, who participated in the war against England. He was accepted into the Spanish nobility in 1594, only 5 years before his passing.
So, considering the strict requirements to become a noble or hold high office, how would a Jew be able to slip himself into those circles so easily and especially after the Reconquista? Even Luis de Santángel was already a third-generation "converso" and he was "only" a banker. This is clearly another attempt at rewriting history. Perhaps they should have added that Columbus was gay to make the story more "exciting."
www.history.com
