Cristoforo was a sailor and explorer, not a conquistador. Don't get me started on how the English and Native Americans themselves were better practicioners of mass murder of the indigenous than the Spanish, French, and Portuguese combined.
He may have been a great sailor, but I don't think he was a very good explorer. If he really believed that he had sailed to the Indies, then his estimate of the earth's size was off by a wide margin.
If Columbus had never sailed, America would have been discovered within a few years by Europeans. Pedro Cabral discovered Brazil in April 1500, while sailing from Portugal to India. Instead of having Columbus Day in October, we could have a Cabral Day in April.
Giuseppe Garibaldi combined the little city states into one Italy in the 1860’s.
So your ‘bunch of Sicilians’ putting on their tacky parade have pretty much the same reason to do so, as a Genoan or a Napolitiano or a Lombard...(don’t get me started about the Calabrese).
Agreed about the English and the NAs themselves.....”Here chief, take these only-used-once blankets as a symbol of our good faith....”
Sorry, I just realized this was an old thread that I had already commented on!