The Ages of
Exploration
Introduction
Although Christopher Columbus is credited for discovering the “New World,” he always believed he had reached Asia. Amerigo Vespucci, however, actually confirmed that it was not Asia, but instead a separate continent. Because of this, North and South America bear his name. Continents bear feminine names. Europe, named by the Greeks, comes from “Europa.” Asia also comes from Greece, and referred to lands east of their homeland. So sticking with a feminine tradition, “America” is a feminine form of Amerigo.
Biography
Early Life
Amerigo Vespucci was born March 9, in Florence, Italy to Nastagio and Lisabetta Vespucci. His father was a notary in the Florence government. The Vespucci family was well-connected, and Amerigo received an excellent education by his uncle Giorgio Antonio. He became fluent in several languages, and had much interest in cartography, astronomy, and navigation techniques. Giorgio was also a teacher to the Medici’s, the most noble and powerful family in Florence. When he was older, Amerigo began working for the Medici’s. In , he was sent to Seville, Spain to manage some business affairs of the Medic
Amerigo Vespucci
| Italian navigator. Both Americas bear his name. Date of Birth: Country: Italy |
Amerigo Vespucci: Italian Navigator and Explorer
Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator and explorer, was born on March 9, , in Florence. He is the namesake of both Americas. Vespucci was of Florentine origin and received a humanistic education in his family. He served for a long time in the Medici banking house before moving to Spain in
In Spain, Vespucci worked as an agent for the same firm in Seville, mainly involved in equipping ships. He thoroughly studied the structure of ships, mastered navigation and astronomy, and created various maps. In , he joined the Spanish maritime service and participated in the outfitting of Christopher Columbus' second and third expeditions, with whom he was friends.
From to , Vespucci served as a pilot on Alonso de Ojeda's expedition, commanding two ships equipped at his own expense. In July , the fleet approached the northern coast of South America at 5° or 6° north latitude, where they split up. Vespucci headed southeast and, on July 2nd, discovered the delta of the Amazon River and its estuary, the Para River, venturing up
Vespucci, Amerigo (–)
The Florentine navigator and cosmographer Amerigo Vespucci was the first to reveal to Europe the existence of a previously unknown continental landmass south of the equinox, and also to state that the empirical knowledge attained in the exploration of this new land could change long-held ideas in the cosmographical tradition. He was born on March 9, , into an extended family that enjoyed relative economic success and played a prominent role in Florentine political and cultural life. In an uncle, Guido Antonio, went to the court of Louis XI in France on a diplomatic mission on behalf of Lorenzo de' Medici, bringing Amerigo as his secretary. Amerigo returned to Florence in , this time to work as Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici's head steward, a position he retained until
Vespucci's involvement in overseas exploration began in Seville, where between and he looked after Lorenzo's commercial interests and worked with Giannotto Berardi, outfitting fleets to America. Vespucci's participation in three overseas voyages can be documented, all involving the exploration of South America. His two first voyages covered most of the northern and eastern continental
Amerigo Vespucci
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Who Was Amerigo Vespucci?
On May 10, , explorer Amerigo Vespucci embarked on his first voyage. On his third and most successful voyage, he discovered present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata. Believing he had discovered a new continent, he called South America the New World. In , America was named after him. He died of malaria in Seville, Spain, on February 22,
Early Life
Navigator and explorer Amerigo Vespucci, the third son in a cultured family, was born on March 9, , (some scholars say ) in Florence, Italy. Although born in Italy, Vespucci became a naturalized citizen of Spain in
Vespucci and his parents, Ser Nastagio and Lisabetta Mini, were friends of the wealthy and tempestuous Medici family, who ruled Italy from the s to Vespucci's father worked as a notary in Florence. While his older brothers headed off to the University of Pisa in Tuscany, Vespucci received his early education from his paternal uncle, a Dominican friar named Giorgio Antonio Vespucci.
When Vespucci was in his early 20s, another uncle, Guido Antonio Vespucci, gave him one of the first of his many jobs. Guido Antonio Vespucci, who was ambassador of Florence under Kin
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