i Dominican Republic - travelfilm.de

a claim to urn containing the remains of
Columbus because “the urndeserved to
be in Spanish territory.”
Charged with the express duty of
retrieving the remains of Columbus, a
group arrived in Santo Domingo, headed
for the crypt under the cathedral’s main
altar, and promptly left with the first
urn they found—they were convinced it
contained the remains of the admiral.
However, in 1877, when restoration
work on the Cathedral was begun, it
was with utter amazement that Father
Francisco Xavier Billini found, September
10th of the same year, a lead urn with
the inscription “Illustrious Man Don
Christopher Columbus, First Admiral of
the Americas”; the engraving had been
done in Valladolid when the remains
were ordered moved for public viewing
to the chapel Santa María de las Cuevas,
in Seville.
Don Emiliano Tejada, the eminent
Dominican historian recorded in his
book Los Restos de Colón (Columbus’
Remains), the events of September 1877
in Santo Domingo.
According to this historical record, the
country’s office holders, members of
the diplomatic corps, ecclesiastical and
military authorities were all summoned
to the Cathedral on that fateful day
and, before their very eyes, the artifact
was examined, declared to be genuine
and true and this was attested to by
the notary publics who signed the
document.
The Reverend Canónigo Francisco
Xavier Billini opened the urn and
showed the remains to the public;
indeed the fine rock crystal on it was
carved. The priest read aloud the
inscription which confirmed, without
shadow of a doubt, that "the remains
were certainly those of the Illustrious
Genoese, Great Admiral, Don
Christopher Columbus, Discoverer of
America.”
Immediately, a twenty-one gun salute
was fired by the Plaza’s artillery unit,
bells tolled from church belfries, and
the first notes of martial music blared
from military bands. People were thrilled
beyond words.
Dominican Republic
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