Possibly the closest likeness to Columbus in middle age - Christopher Columbus was born in the Italian city of Genoa in the year 1451. His father was a wool weaver and merchant who sold cloth. Genoa was famous for its map-makers, traders and explorers and many of its men became sailors. Christopher went to sea at the age of 14. In 1476, the ship on which he was aboard was attacked off the coast of Portugal. He managed to swim the six miles to Lisbon. He settled there and married the daughter of a Portuguese nobleman. In Portugal, Columbus taught himself astronomy, arithmetic, history and geography. He made many journeys down the coast of Africa. In 1484 he unsuccessfully asked the King of Portugal to finance his expedition to the far east. He had more luck in 1492 with the King and Queen of Spain. Isabela and Fernando agreed to help and ordered the town of Palos in southern Spain to supply and equip ships for his voyage.