– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

From this area, Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 with the Pinta,

the Niña

and the Santa Maria.

But where are we exactly?

We're in southern Spain,

in the municipality of Palos de la Frontera,

about 100 kilometers from Seville.

Columbus set sail on his first of four voyages to the

Americas around here.

You can see full-scale replicas of his ships here.

And understand how cramped it was on board during this long journeys

into the unknown.

His plan was to discover a new sea route to Asia, but as you know,

that never happened.

Let's go back in time and follow his footsteps before going

to the Americas.

His legacy made history, was celebrated, but it was,

and it is widely criticized.

I'll show you how important Seville was for Columbus' travels.

Where he was buried.

And what the historical archives reveal about Columbus.

We'll also find out how his discovery of the Americas ushered in a new era.

Our next stop is Seville, which played an important role in Columbus' journeys.

In the 15th century Seville was a wealthy city

at the center of Spanish maritime trade.

The riches were used to complete this magnificent cathedral in 1519,

the largest Gothic church in Spain.

There's also a connection to Columbus.

More on that later.

No money, no journey. And that was his problem.

So he tried hard to find supporters for his ideas.

The royal palace of Sevilla, the Real Alcázar, played a key role.

Columbus and Queen Isabella of Castile had many discussions here.

Other royal houses in Europe had refused to fund his journeys,

but Queen Isabella of Castile decided to support him.

The medieval palace is worth a visit.

It's an amazing example of so-called Mudejar architecture:

buildings constructed under Christian rule with Islamic influences.

But, who was Columbus really?

Some think he was a brave explorer.

Others think he was a violent conqueror and pioneer of colonialism.

I hope to find answers with an expert.

Historian Esteban Mira Caballos has written a book about Columbus and his era.

If you are following in Columbus' footsteps in Seville, you can't miss this:

a 45-meter-high bronze sculpture,

officially called "The Birth of a New Man".

In Sevilla, we find several monuments of Columbus, like this one,

known as the "Columbus Egg".

Meanwhile, in some countries in Latin America and even in North America,

in the US, many Columbus monuments have been removed.

Let's see what people here think.

To learn more about Columbus, the Navigator from Genova, Italy,

I head to the Archivo General de Indias.

It is the most important archive of Spanish colonial history.

Both, the documents preserved here, and the building itself

are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Americas were named after Amerigo Vespucci.

Although Columbus was the first European to arrive in the Americas,

it was Vespucci who realized these lands were not part of Asia.

He also set out from Seville to discover

what we know now as South America.

Columbus and those who followed him were mainly interested in fame

as well as power, valuable spices and gold.

Columbus himself benefit little from his travels.

He died in 1506, a year and a half after returning from his last trip.

After his death, Columbus' remains continued traveling.

Initially they were preserved in Spain,

then taken to the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

In 1898 his final resting place was here in the Cathedral of Sevilla.

Like many buildings here in Seville, the cathedral reflects

a mixture of cultures.

It was built in the 15th century on the ruins of the Arab Mezquita Mayor

from the 12th century.

It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The sarcophagus of Columbus:

For a long time there was a controversy over

whether the remains were really those of Columbus.

It wasn't until 2006 that a DNA test confirmed it was him.

And that's a wrap of Sevilla.

Whether intentionally or not, Christopher Columbus' travels

changed the world.

What do you think about his legacy?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sail /seɪl/ A2	verb - to propel or move a boat using sails
ship /ʃɪp/ A1	noun - a large boat used for traveling over water
voyage /ˈvɔɪɪdʒ/ B1	noun - a long journey, especially by sea
discover /dɪˈskʌvər/ A2	verb - to find something for the first time
journey /ˈdʒɜːrni/ A2	noun - a trip or travel from one place to another
route /ruːt/ A2	noun - a way or path from one place to another
legacy /ˈleɡəsi/ C1	noun - something handed down from the past
history /ˈhɪstəri/ A1	noun - the study of past events
cathedral /kəˈθiːdrəl/ B2	noun - a large Christian church, typically the main church of a bishop
monument /ˈmɒnjumənt/ B2	noun - a structure built to commemorate a person or event
archive /ˈɑːrkaɪv/ B2	noun - a collection of historical documents
remains /rɪˈmeɪnz/ B1	noun - the parts of something that are still there after other parts have been removed or destroyed
explorer /ɪkˈsplɔːrər/ B1	noun - a person who travels to unknown places in order to find out more about them
conquer /ˈkɒŋkər/ B2	verb - to take control of an area or country by force
palace /ˈpælɪs/ B1	noun - a large, impressive house where a king or queen lives
sculpture /ˈskʌlptʃər/ B2	noun - a statue or other free-standing piece of art made by carving or molding
architecture /ˈɑːrkɪtektʃər/ B2	noun - the style and design of buildings
trade /treɪd/ A2	noun - the buying and selling of goods and services
century /ˈsentʃəri/ A2	noun - a period of 100 years