Who translated Columbus's first-voyage letter into Latin in 1493?

Leander de Cosco translated Columbus’s first-voyage letter into Latin in 1493.

Columbus wrote the letter during his return from the 1492 voyage, reporting the islands he believed lay near Asia. Copies circulated rapidly after his arrival in Spain, helping spread news of the expedition across Europe. A Spanish version was printed in Barcelona, while a Latin version addressed to Gabriel Sánchez appeared in Rome.

The Latin edition’s prologue identifies the translator as the notary Leander de Cosco and says that he completed the work on 29 April 1493. Early printings sometimes rendered his name as “Aliander de Cosco,” which can cause confusion in historical references. Gabriel Sánchez was the treasurer named as recipient of the Latin edition, not its translator; Luis de Santángel was associated with a Spanish version, and Stephen Plannck was the Roman printer.

The letter was unusually influential because movable-type printing allowed it to be reprinted in cities including Basel, Paris and Antwerp within months. It shaped European perceptions of the newly encountered Caribbean lands, even though Columbus still believed he had reached the outskirts of Asia.