Turning south, he is believed to have discovered the mouth of the Amazon River and to have gone as far as Cape St. Augustine (latitude about 6° S). Author of. Traditionally, Vespucci's voyages are referred to as the "first" through "fourth", even by historians who refute one or more of the trips. [22], In 1503, Vespucci may have participated in a second expedition for the Portuguese crown, again exploring the east coast of Brazil. He very recently moved to Florida 18 months ago and was the happiest he'd been in years and married the love of his life. Any land that lay to the east of the line could be claimed by Portugal. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Died: February 22, 1512. The Soderini Letter (1505) came to the attention of a group of humanist scholars studying geography in Saint-Dié, a small French town in the Duchy of Lorraine. America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent. Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) Italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartographer – Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence (Italian city, located in Tuscany) on March 9th, 1454 and died in Seville (capital of the province of Seville and the autonomous community of Andalusia in Spain) on February 22nd, 1512 at the age of 57. That land would eventually become present-day Brazil. In his new role, Vespucci was responsible for ensuring that ships' pilots were adequately trained and licensed before sailing to the New World. In 1538, Gerardus Mercator used America to name both the North and South continents on his influential map. He died of malaria on February 22, 1512 at his home in Seville, Spain. Our latest episode for parents features the topic of empathy. They continued south for another 40 leagues (about 240 km or 150 mi) before encountering a very strong adverse current which they could not overcome. It is uncertain whether Vespucci took part in yet another expedition (1503–04) for the Portuguese government (it is said that he may have been with one under Gonzalo Coelho). [4] Amerigo's career path seemed less certain; instead of following his brothers to the university, he remained in Florence and was tutored by his uncle, Giorgio Antonio Vespucci, a Dominican friar in the monastery of San Marco. As soon as he was back in Spain, he equipped a fresh expedition with the aim of reaching the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of the Ganges (modern Bay of Bengal), and the island of Taprobane or Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Amerigo's later writings demonstrated a familiarity with the work of the classic Greek cosmographers, Ptolemy and Strabo, and the more recent work of Florentine astronomer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli. The suggestion caught on; the extension of the name to North America, however, came later. Vespucci’s ships anchored at Lisbon on July 22, 1502. From his extensive explorations, he also claimed that the discovered lands were composed of a distinct landmass and that the E… Sailing south along the coast they found friendlier natives and were able to engage in some minor trading. He was also introduced to geography and astronomy, subjects that played an essential part in his career. Florence, Italy. Most authors believe that the three manuscript letters are authentic while the first voyage as described in the Soderini letter draws the most criticism and disbelief. Within a few years of the publication of his two letters, the European public became aware of the newly discovered continents of the Americas. Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) was a Florentine sailor, explorer, and trader. [5] Meanwhile he continued to show an interest in geography, at one point buying an expensive map made by the master cartographer Gabriel de Vallseca. Louis XI was noncommittal and the diplomatic mission returned to Florence in 1481 with little to show for their efforts. [3][4] More importantly, the Vespuccis had good relations with Lorenzo de' Medici, the powerful de facto ruler of Florence. Before crossing the Atlantic they resupplied at Cape Verde where they encountered Cabral on his way home from his voyage to India. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Amerigo Vespucci (9 Mar 1454–22 Feb 1512), Find a Grave Memorial no. As a boy Vespucci was given a humanistic education by his uncle Giorgio Antonio. However, profits proved to be elusive. As a young man, he was fascinated with books and maps. [4][6], In 1488, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco became dissatisfied with his Seville business agent, Tomasso Capponi. 11358913, citing Chiesa di San Salvatore di Ognissanti, Florence, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Toscana, Italy ; Maintained by Find A Grave . Fortunately for Amerigo, his uncle was one of the most celebrated humanist scholars in Florence at the time and provided him with a broad education in literature, philosophy, rhetoric, and Latin. Led by Walter Lud, the academy included Matthias Ringmann and Martin Waldseemüller. The Introduction was written in Latin and included a Latin translation of the Soderini Letter. Seville, Spain. Rico was born in Brooklyn, New York. Birthplace: Florence, Italy. Vespucci's immediate family was not especially prosperous but they were politically well-connected. The Soderini Letter gave Vespucci credit for discovery of this new continent and implied that the Portuguese map was based on his explorations. Amerigo Vespucci Biography. Italian navigator. The voyage of 1501–02 is of fundamental importance in the history of geographic discovery in that Vespucci himself, and scholars as well, became convinced that the newly discovered lands were not part of Asia but a “New World.” In 1507 a humanist, Martin Waldseemüller, reprinted at Saint-Dié in Lorraine the “Quattuor Americi navigationes” (“Four Voyages of Amerigo”), preceded by a pamphlet of his own entitled “Cosmographiae introductio,” and he suggested that the newly discovered world be named “ab Americo Inventore…quasi Americi terram sive Americam” (“from Amerigo the discoverer…as if it were the land of Americus or America”). [12] Two of these letters were published during his lifetime and received widespread attention throughout Europe. Writing later about his experience, Vespucci gave the impression that he had a leadership role, but that is unlikely, due to his inexperience. Instead, he may have served as a commercial representative on behalf of the fleet's investors. There are also difficulties with the reported dates and details in the account of this voyage. By this point the name had been securely fixed on the New World. Who wrote Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa? The voyage completed by Vespucci between May 1499 and June 1500 as navigator of an expedition of four ships sent from Spain under the command of Alonso de Ojeda is certainly authentic. Vespucci's historical importance may rest more with his letters (whether or not he wrote them all) than his discoveries. On 13 February 1502, they left the coast to return home. In 1495, Berardi signed a contract with the crown to send 12 resupply ships to Hispaniola but then died unexpectedly in December without completing the terms of the contract. Amerigo Vespucci (/vɛˈspuːtʃi/;[1] Italian: [ameˈriːɡo veˈsputtʃi]; 9 March 1454 – 22 February 1512) was an Italian merchant, explorer, and navigator from the Republic of Florence, from whose name the term "America" is derived. For other uses, see. Amerigo Vespucci was born in about 1451 in Florence, Italy. In the early 16th century, he showed that the New World was not part of Asia but was, in fact, its own distinct area. On the way back he reached Trinidad, sighted the mouth of the Orinoco River, and then made for Haiti. Opinions began to shift somewhat after 1857 when Brazilian historian Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen wrote that everything in the Soderini Letter was true. They suggest that they were fabrications based in part on genuine Vespucci letters. When Berardi died, either at the end of 1495 or at the beginning of 1496, Vespucci became manager of the Sevilla agency. His widow, Maria Cerezo, was granted a pension in recognition of her husband’s great services. Later, Bartolomé de las Casas argued that Vespucci was a liar and stole the credit that was due Columbus. In a preface to the Letter, Ringmann wrote, I see no reason why anyone could properly disapprove of a name derived from that of Amerigo, the discoverer, a man of sagacious genius. During the next few months he received payments from the crown for his services and in April he was declared by royal proclamation a citizen of Castile and León. He is famous for being the first explorer to argue out that Brazil and West Indies were not in Eastern Asia. On the contrary, the king was likely interested in learning about the possibility of a western passage to India. Other cartographers followed suit, and by 1532 the name America was permanently affixed to the newly discovered continents. This was the same expedition that had found Brazil on their outward-bound journey the previous year. The Vespuccis were a prominent family and friends with the powerful Medicis, who ruled Italy for more than 300 years. He was one of the more colorful characters of the early age of discovery in the Americas and captained one of the first journeys to the New World. [5], By 1492 Vespucci had settled permanently in Seville. Amerigo Vespucci was educated by his uncle, Fra Giorgio Antonio Vespucci, a Dominican friar of the monastery of San Marco in … The recent voyage of Columbusand others generated much interest in the nation as people wondered how man would reach the fabled Indies via a westward direction. Vespucci's reputation as an explorer and presumed navigator had already reached Portugal, and he was hired by the king to serve as pilot under the command of Gonçalo Coelho. Felipe Fernández-Armesto (2007) calls the authenticity question "inconclusive", and hypothesizes that the first voyage was probably another version of the second; the third is unassailable, and the fourth is probably true.[47]. How many voyages did he make? However most historians now believe that he was unaware of Waldseemüller's map before his death in 1512 and many assert that he was not even the author of the Soderini Letter. His clothes, books, and navigational equipment were left to his nephew Giovanni Vespucci. They surmised that this was the "new world" or the "antipodes" hypothesized by classical writers. Naturalized Castilian in the year 1505, he dedicated himself to commerce in Spain in the 15th century and was hired by the Medicis who were a powerful and wealthy family of the time. Two others have been alleged but the evidence is more problematical. Amerigo's role is not clear, but it was likely as an attache or private secretary. [12] Historians have differed sharply on the authorship, accuracy and veracity of these documents. In 1924, Alberto Magnaghi published the results of his exhaustive review of Vespucci's writings and relevant cartography. [17] His role on the voyage is not clear. The first series consists of a letter in the name of Vespucci from Lisbon, Portugal, dated September 4, 1504, written in Italian, perhaps to the gonfalonier (magistrate of a medieval Italian republic) Piero Soderini, and printed in Florence in 1505; and of two Latin versions of this letter, printed under the titles of “Quattuor Americi navigationes” and “Mundus Novus,” or “Epistola Alberici de Novo Mundo.” The second series consists of three private letters addressed to the Medici. Some scholars have held Vespucci to be a usurper of the merits of others. He was also hired to captain a ship as part of a fleet bound for the "spice islands" but the planned voyage never took place. Their intention was to explore the coast of a new landmass found by Columbus on his third voyage and in particular investigate a rich source of pearls that Columbus had reported. Some writers question the authorship and accuracy of the letter and consider it to be a forgery. He assumed they were on the coast of Asia and hoped by heading south they would, according to the Greek geographer Ptolemy, round the unidentified "Cape of Cattigara" and reach the Indian Ocean. Forced to turn around, the ships headed north, retracing their course to the original landfall. Although historians still dispute the authorship and veracity of these accounts, at the time they were instrumental in raising awareness of the new discoveries and enhancing the reputation of Vespucci as an explorer and navigator. [38], Many supporters of Columbus felt that Vespucci had stolen an honour that rightfully belonged to Columbus. In 1505, King Ferdinand gave … [37], The Introduction and map were a great success and four editions were printed in the first year alone. Most historians now accept them as the work of Vespucci but aspects of the accounts are still disputed. He was educated by his uncle, Fra Giorgio Antionia Vespucci, who was a friar belonging to the Dominical Order in San Marco, Florence. Quick Facts: Vespucci realized the land he was exploring was a separate continent and not part of Asia, as he and many others believed at the time. From Napoli American history convincingly demonstrated by Alberto Magnaghi in 1924, Alberto Magnaghi in.! An educated young man, he was mostly educated by one of his uncles, Giorgio Antonio Vespucci much Europe. Di Ognissanti, Florence, a wealthy Italian city-state and a center of Renaissance art and learning Italian.. Get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox followed in support of Vespucci 's historical importance may more! 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