Domenico Colombo ( en, Dominic Columbus; lij, label= Genoese, Domenego Corombo; 1 March 14181496) was a

weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...

, the father of Italian explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus and Bartholomew Columbus.

Biography

Domenico was born in 1418. He had three brothers, who were called Franceschino, Giacomo and Bertino. Porto Genova 0028

His father had apprenticed him to the

loom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but th ...

at age 11. Domenico, a third-generation master of his craft in Genoa, was also a

shopkeeper A shopkeeper is a retail merchant or tradesman; one who owns or operates a small store or shop. Generally, shop employees are not shopkeepers, but are often incorrectly referred to as such. At larger companies, a shopkeeper is usually referred t ...

. His position was secure and respectable in the lower middle class, but he did not have a firm work ethic. He was a poor provider but was generally liked in his community. In the boisterous, enterprising spirit of Genoa, he worked as a cheese maker, tavern keeper and dealer in wool and wine. He married

Susanna Fontanarossa Susanna of Fontanarossa (1435–1489) was the mother of navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus. Biography Susanna was born in the hillside village of Monticellu, on the then Genoese island of Corsica, to a wealthy Catholic family. Her ...

. Their firstborn was

Cristoforo Cristoforo may refer to: See also

* Cristoforo Colombo (disambiguation) * Cristian (disambiguation) * San Cristoforo (disambiguation) * Violet Kazue de Cristoforo {{given name Masculine given names ...

, in 1451; sons Giovanni Pellegrino,

Bartolomeo Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo is a masculine Italian given name, the Italian equivalent of Bartholomew. Its diminutive form is Baccio. Notable people with the name include: * Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo (1824–1860), Italian paleobotanist and liche ...

, Giacomo (also called Diego), – The names Giacomo and Diego are cognates, along with

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, all sharing a common origin. See ''Behind the Name'', Mike Campbell, page
GiacomoDiego
an
James
All retrieved 3 February 2017. and daughter Bianchinetta were born after. When he was found in financial difficulty, he was helped economically by Christopher. Forsaking the loom, two of his sons – Bartholomew and Christopher – went to the sea. Domenico's daughter-in-law was

Filipa Moniz Perestrelo Filipa Moniz Perestrelo (c. 1455 – between 1479 and 1484) was a Portuguese noblewoman from Porto Santo Island, in Madeira, Portugal. She was the wife of Christopher Columbus, married in 1479 in Vila Baleira on the island. History Filipa M ...

and his grandsons were Diego Columbus and Ferdinand Columbus. He also had one natural granddaughter, Maria.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colombo, Domenico 1418 births 1496 deaths 15th-century Genoese people Domenico 15th-century Italian businesspeople