IL GIORNALE DI BORDO DI CRISTOFORO COLOMBO (1492-93) | 1939 | RINALDO CADDEO

The Giornale di bordo di Cristoforo Colombo (1492–1493), edited by Rinaldo Caddeo in 1939, presents the reconstructed diary of Columbus’s groundbreaking first voyage. Though the original log is lost, Caddeo’s scholarly edition compiles reliable indirect sources, including passages from Bartolomé de Las Casas and Fernando Colombo. The work combines historical narrative, geographical observations, and ethnographic detail, offering insights into Columbus’s descriptions of Caribbean landscapes, indigenous cultures, navigation, and the quest for spices and route to Asia. Caddeo’s edition contextualizes the journey within exploration history, making it accessible to modern readers while preserving its period authenticity.