Old sailor's never die -

- they just move to a different See

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If you thought that the remains of Christopher Colombus were in the Dominican Republic (DR), you may well be right. In fact this great world traveller continued to traverse the globe even after his death in 1506 in Valladolid (Spain). For a seasoned sailor of his stature, this inconvenience of corporal interrment was soon overcome. He surfaced and was re-interred in the Santa Maria de Cuevas Monastery (Seville). Although a creature of habit he did not stay long and put this minor setback behind him, travelling in 1542 to the island of Hispa (DR) where he rested for a while. In 1795 the French invaded and he escaped to Cuba where his remains remained until independence. His Cuban residency was then revoked and he returned to Seville to this magnificent tomb.
Or did he? A box of bones and an inscription were found in the DR in 1877 but the authorities forbad the exhumation for DNA testing. Inconclusive tests were run on the body in Seville so nobody knows for sure.
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One of the Kings who first united the Middle Age states of Spain was Ferdinand III of Castile, (then Leon and then Galicia.) For services rendered he was elevated to sainthood. Was St Fernando really so effete as his statue suggests?
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Maintenance of the cathedral continues thanks to the income from tourists (9 Euros each) of which the clergy only keep 33% for themselves and their charities.
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The first oval ceiling created for a chapter house
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Lorenzo Mercadante de Bretana built this alabaster sepulcher between 1453 and 1458 for Cardenal Don Juan de Cervantes.
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There are 11,960 precious stones in the crown of the 22 carat gold Virgen de los Reyes.
Lots of polishing needed here.Read more