Chris! Is that REALLY YOU?

Baroque angels hover over the marble casket wherein the remains of Christopher Columbus lie.

A constant guard of honour stands beside the mausoleum through the day and night.

The venerated remnants of probably the world's most famous 'explorer', and 'discoverer of the New World', have lain for many years within El Faro, the Columbus Lighthouse, on the East side of the mouth of the Rio Ozama across from Santo Domingos Zona Colonial...

...Or so it is believed!

Indeed the veracity of this claim has often been discussed, argued about and even refuted by some sources.

Soon there will be no further questions about it!

The Dominican Government has just given the go-ahead to a team of Spanish scientists to assess the remains using DNA analysis methods to confirm once and for all that the casket does indeed contain the mortal remains of the discoverer of La Isla Hispaniola and first 'ruler' of Santo Domingo, the New World's first city...or not!!! As the case may be!

Watch this space for breaking news! Columbus discovered the country that was to become the Dominican Republic...but will the Dominican Republic discover Columbus?