Filipa Moniz Perestrelo

His body was never formally identified, and legends grew that he survived and lived out his life on Madeira under the name Henrique Alamau, Henry the German.

Rosa argues that Columbus was his son, and he pointed out that Columbus married Filipa Moniz Perestrello, a noblewoman whose father had been the first captain of the island of Porto Santo.

For a Weaver's son from Genoa, that's a remarkable match.

And Rosa suggests the Portuguese court knew exactly who the groom was.

And so we have someone very high, uh, a very high nobleman being helped to hide his lineage by the, the powers that be of the time, where he lived, Portugal and Spain.

Now, we know that he was married in 1479 to Filipa Moniz, who was the daughter of the captain of the island of Porto Santo.

And this is where things cannot be, um, washed or, or hidden because his son went on to become second admiral and second viceroy of the New World.

His son was born in Portugal, son of this lady, Filipa Moniz.

And so this is the only thing they could not hide from us.

You know? If, if, uh, if his so- if he did not have a son born in Portugal, they could have forever hidden his real identity.

They would never take his-

...

At the same time, his personal life in Portugal grew more stable.

He married Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, whose family had ties to the exploration and administration of Atlantic territories.

Her father, Bartolomeu Perestrelo, had served as governor of Porto Santo in the Madeira archipelago.

Through these family connections, Columbus gained access to charts, reports, and navigational experiences that deepened his interest in westward travel.