An exhibition entitled “Seafarers of the Old Continent – Greek sailors with Columbus and Magellan” will be inaugurated today, 15 January, in Greece, at the “Mikis Theodorakis” auditorium of the Municipality of Papagou-Cholargos, the result of the cultural cooperation between Greece, Italy and Spain, organised in collaboration with the Italian Embassy and the Spanish Embassy in Athens, the Italian Cultural Institute and the Cervantes Institute.
The exhibition, which will remain open to the public until 2 February 2024, is a combination of two separate exhibitions, an Italian one on the discovery of America by Columbus and a Spanish one on the first circumnavigation of the Earth by Magellan; both expeditions carried out on behalf of the Spanish crown. The importance of these expeditions for the history of mankind is not in question, but it is little known that some Greek sailors, members of the crews of these two navigators, also participated in these exploits and played an important role in their success.
During the exhibition opening, the dramatised documentary by Spanish Hellenist Pedro Olaya, “Francisco Albo, the Greek sailors on the first circumnavigation of the Earth”, will be screened.
