The Vikings, Paolo Del Pozzo Toscanelli

Abstract

With all due respect to the Genoese navigator, the real discovery of America was made by the Vikings. Although Columbus’ greatest achievement was to successfully go west in order to reach east, urged onwards by his search for spices and wealth, both of which were necessary for the Spanish courts and European countries to defend their position against the closing of Indian markets by the Ottoman Empire and Arab interven-tion.