Amerigo Vespucci Biography:
This navigator did not become famous for his round-the-world voyage, like the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan. For a long time, Amerigo Vespucci was considered a liar who tried to take the glory away from the famous Christopher Columbus. Later it became clear that the Italian made a brilliant contribution to geography, having thoroughly studied the continent, which would later be called South America. Vespucci left a description of the life of the Indians living on the continent, his manuscripts became a world bestseller of the 16th century.
Childhood and youth:
The future traveler was born in the glorious city of Florence, at that time the capital of the medieval Florentine Republic, on March 9, 1451. This date is the most common, in a number of sources the year of Amerigo’s birth is indicated as 1454. The navigator’s poor father, Anastasio Vespucci, worked as a state notary of the republic, and scientists know nothing about the biography of his mother, Lisabetta di Giovanni Mini. In addition to Amerigo, there were two more sons in the family. After studying at the University of Pisa, the first-born Antonio followed in his father’s footsteps, and the middle brother joined the Hospitaller Order.
Amerigo grew up as an inquisitive and calm boy, and from an early age he began to be interested in natural sciences. He was educated at home under the guidance of his uncle, Giorgio Antonio Vespucci, a Dominican monk of the monastery of St. Mark and one of the most famous humanist scholars of Florence at that time. He helped his future eminent nephew master Latin, literature and philosophy, as well as physics, marine geography and astronomy.
Another relative, diplomat Guido Antonio Vespucci, took Amerigo along on a diplomatic mission to Paris in 1478. The Florentine mission returned from France only in 1481. Having gained the necessary experience, the young man began to help his father, but in 1482 Anastasio Vespucci died.
The following year, Amerigo got a job with his classmate from Giorgio Antonio Vespucci, the Florentine banker Lorenzio di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici. Having started his career as a housekeeper, the future navigator rose to the position of business operations manager. Carrying out orders from his patron, Vespucci visited Spain more than once. In 1490, on the way to the Tuscan commune, the Italian bought an ancient map of the Mediterranean Sea for 130 ducats, which testifies to his interest in maritime affairs.
In the future, Amerigo Vespucci independently mastered cartography, navigation systems, and also studied the structure of sea ships.
Discovery of America:
In 1490, Amerigo, on business for his patron, found himself in Spain, where he met the Florentine merchant Danoto Berardi, a business agent of the Medici in Seville. And two years later, Amerigo moved to Seville and worked with Berardi, who financed the travels of Christopher Columbus. Vespucci was involved in organizing these expeditions.
Amerigo became a partner of Danoto, and after the latter’s death in 1495, his executor and was in charge of the accounts of the trading house.
In 1499, 45-year-old Amerigo set off on a long journey himself. Why he spontaneously decided to change his field of activity remains a mystery. Biographers have two theories about this. According to one guess, despite serving a rich house, the Italian lived poorly. His salary was small, and his conscience did not allow him to appropriate other people’s money, which he managed. According to the opposite opinion, Vespucci, the head of maritime affairs, lived richly and made a considerable fortune during his 30-year career. However, Columbus’ expeditions awakened in the Italian a thirst for adventure and escapades.
Realizing that navigation was not only interesting, but also a profitable business, the Florentine left economic activity and began to conquer the Atlantic Ocean at his own expense.
Amerigo set out on his first sea voyage as part of the expedition of the Spanish admiral Alonso de Ojeda, an associate of Christopher Columbus. According to one version, Vespucci was a navigator, according to another, he commanded a sea vessel. Four ships explored the ocean, the mouth of the Amazon, and then their route on the map ran along the coast of South America. The first voyage did not bring the Florentine any money, but he gained invaluable experience as a sailor.
The Italian’s research activities did not end there. The King of Portugal, Manuel I the Fortunate, invited the native of Florence to Lisbon, so Amerigo went on two other expeditions under the Portuguese flag. The second voyage began in 1501, and the third in 1503 under the command of Admiral Gonzalo Coelho.
In 1502, Amerigo Vespucci became one of the discoverers of Guanabara Bay, which was named Rio de Janeiro, which literally translates from Portuguese as “January River” – sailors mistook the bay for the mouth of the river.
Under the guidance of Coelho, the Italian explored the coast of modern Brazil and independently captained a small ship. Then Amerigo developed his own point of view, different from Columbus’s. According to the former financier, the new lands were not an island located in Asia, but an independent unknown territory, which the traveler called the New World.
Having a literary talent, the Italian left behind an epistolary legacy of about 30 pages. Exploring new coasts, the navigator meticulously recorded his impressions of the travels and sent them to his patron Lorenzo Medici and childhood friend Piero Soderini. Amerigo’s letters became so popular that they were reprinted about 60 times, while Columbus’s manuscripts were published only 12 times. In addition to exotic descriptions of South America, Amerigo described the life of unknown Indian tribes. It is noteworthy that the text is endowed with a share of eroticism, the author unashamedly talked about beautiful and lustful women who were not ashamed of their nudity. Vespucci’s stories were popular with the Puritan society, because in times of religious strictness, the traveler’s stories were exotic.
An Italian publishing house included the letters of his compatriot in a collection with a bright title – “The New World and New Countries Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci of Florence.” The book was translated into many languages ​​of the world. In 1507, a map was published in France with the contours of a new continent called “the land of Amerigo” or America. According to another version, the navigator’s friend Leonardo da Vinci was the first to draw a map of America with a portrait of the Florentine on the contours of the continent. The famous contemporary made such a gesture as a token of gratitude, because thanks to an Italian acquaintance who gave him an Indian pipe and tobacco leaves, Leonardo became one of the first smokers in Europe.
According to another version, America got its name not because of Vespucci: the continent was named after a merchant from Bristol, Richard Amerike.
Personal life:
Vespucci arranged his personal life by moving to Seville. He married a Spanish woman, Maria Cerezo, profitably. Judging by Amerigo’s will, she was the daughter of the famous military leader Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba. Most likely, Maria was an illegitimate child, but she brought useful connections to her husband.
The wife was actively involved in Amerigo’s business, and during his travels she even managed affairs by proxy. Scientists cannot say whether the couple had children.
The Italian was an adventurer who was not afraid to exchange a quiet life for risky expeditions, and also had insight, observation and literary talent. Amerigo was spoken of as an exceptionally honest man. He did not take advantage of the glory of Christopher Columbus and did not claim the honors deserved by the Spanish admiral. Columbus himself spoke of him as a decent man.
Death:
Amerigo Vespucci died at the age of 58 in the city of Seville in southern Spain on February 22, 1512. The cause of his death is unknown.
According to his last will, the navigator was buried in the family tomb of his wife. The wife received a pension and most of her husband’s modest inheritance, including slaves, and Amerigo left books and navigation equipment to his nephew Giovanni.
Interesting facts:
- In honor of the Italian traveler, the sailboat “Amerigo Vespucci” was launched in Naples in February 1931.
- The first to explore the territory of Venezuela, Amerigo gave it this name, which means “little Venice” – because of the Indian huts on piles.