Italian American Digest 7Italian American Digest FALL 2018 | Page 23

FALL 2018
I talian A meri -
trying to “steal his laurels” as some
claimed, and wrote to his son, Diego,
its journey home sailed into a hurri-
in 1505 that Amerigo had always
cane along with 29 others; they were “wished to please me; he is a man of
all destroyed on July 1, causing 500
good will; fortune has been unkind
lives to be lost as well as an immense to him…his labors have not brought
cargo of gold.
him the rewards he in justice should
Columbus then stopped briefly
have.” (Not then maybe!)
at Jamaica and sailed to Central
Vespucci was later summoned to
America, where he spent two months Spain to serve as a consultant for
exploring lands that were later
several commercial enterprises, and
called Honduras, Nicaragua, and
in 1508 was appointed chief naviga-
Costa Rica, and arrived at Panama
tor, interpreting, planning, mapping,
on October 16. He continued look-
and coordinating all the training and
ing for gold until his ships suffered
licensing that pilots and captains
even greater storm damage and were needed for their journeys to the New
stranded in Jamaica. In February
World. However, despite the fact that
1504, he gained the assistance of
the New World now carried his name
some natives by predicting a lunar
and not that of Columbus, he himself
eclipse would happen on February
never returned to “America” again.
29! With their willingness to provide He eventually was granted Spanish
him with supplies, he and his men
citizenship and spent the rest of his
were able to leave for Spain and
life there.
arrived on June 29, 1504.
In Columbus we have a man so
On May 20, 1506, Columbus died committed to his goal of achiev-
from a number of diseases caused
ing the expansion of Christianity
by food poisoning, poor sanitation,
throughout the Far East that never
etc. (Some are believed to have been for a moment did he doubt that he
sexually transmitted.) The anniver-
had in fact discovered a western
sary of his landing in America was
route to Cathay. To his last day,
eventually established as October 12 he truly believed he had fulfilled
(Columbus Day), or the second Mon- his purpose in life inspired by his
day in October. Many stamps were
Christian name, “The Christ Bearer”
later issued in America and abroad
(Christofero/Christopher). And so it
celebrating his accomplishments, but was not Columbus, but Amerigo Ves-
only after they were finally recog-
pucci—who clearly saw that a “New
nized for what they truly were.
World” had been discovered—for
The first person to actually recog- whom that discovery was named.
nize that a “New World” (Mundus
Columbus has not been complete-
Novus, as he called it) had been
ly ignored, however. Think of such
discovered , was, of course, Amer-
proper names as the District of Co-
igo Vespucci! A Florentine with a
lumbia; Columbus, Ohio; Columbia
good relationship with one of the
University, etc. He may have been
richest families in Italy, the Medici,
slighted somewhat over the centuries
and supported by Portugal, Ves-
immediately following his achieve-
pucci sailed west in 1497, not long
ments—perhaps because he himself
after Columbus’ second voyage. In
failed to realize (or did not want to
his journals published in 1502-4,
realize?) what he had accomplished.
which included descriptions of the
But more than 500 years later, no
four voyages he engaged in overall
one can dispute that it was he who
(including to Brazil and perhaps
discovered America—not Vespucci!
even the Amazon River), he declared
Estrada-Belli cont. from page 21
that these lands were not part of Asia
but part of an entirely new continent ways were paved between sites that
before had seemed more isolated.”
totally unknown to Europeans. The
In recognition of his contribu-
German cartographer, Martin Wald-
tions to the fields of archaeology,
seemuller, was convinced by the
anthropology, history and cartogra-
details contained in these journals,
phy, Estrada-Belli has been named
and in 1507—a year after Colum-
bus’ death— published a world map a National Geographic Explorer and
a Fellow of the Society of Antiquar-
calling the new land “America,” a
Latinized female version of Vespuc- ies of London. In 2010 he founded
the Maya Archaeology Initiative, a
ci’s first name. (Referring to lands
nonprofit organization dedicated to
in a female context was common at
the time, e.g., Europa, Italia, Francia, preserving Maya heritage through
archaeology and education in Guate-
etc.)
Amazingly, when Columbus him- malan schools. He continues to con-
duct yearly mapping and excavation
self first heard of Vespucci’s voyag-
campaigns in northern Guatemala.
es, he never believed Vespucci was
Columbus cont. from page 19
PAGE 23
Nephew’s cont. from page 20
entrees served family style, includ-
ing grilled rosemary chicken, roast
pork in red gravy, and eggplant rolls.
The fragrant olive oil and rosemary
chicken was cut up into smaller
pieces in the style of Mosca’s famous
chicken, not in larger pieces Ameri-
cans are used to seeing at, say, fried
chicken restaurants. This chicken
was so tender, and the olive oil-rose-
mary combination is always deli-
cious. The large chunks of pork were
slowly cooked so they remained ten-
der, but the bright sauce tasted meaty
and sweet. This dish reminded me
of Sunday dinners with my family
growing up: the slow and low cook-
ing that renders the flavors out of the
meat and into the scrumptious sauce.
Finally, there was another egg-
plant dish with breaded and fried
eggplant and red sauce. It, too, was
delicious.
As you can gather, there were left-
overs but, fortunately, the entrees are
just as good the next day served over
a salad of crisp, fresh lettuce.
Nephew’s succeeded in filling a
void left by the passing of Tony Ang-
ello and the closing of his restaurant.
The food was spot-on and the crowd-
ed dining room proved that Frank
Catalanotte could create the same
generous and welcoming atmosphere
that Tony Angello’s was known for
providing its guests. Nephew’s is a
busy restaurant, so do make a res-
ervation. And do try the “feed me”
dinner; you will leave satisfied and
maybe with a little something for
lunch the next day.
The eggplant rolls at Nephew’s Ristorante are a must.