First Voyage Around the

World
Antonio Pigafetta
Background of the author
Historical background of the document
Content Analysis of the document
Contribution to the historical narrative
Relevance to contemporary times

Format for Analysis

Age of Exploration
 Rivalry between Portugal vs. Spain
 INTER CAETERA—Papa Bull 1493 issued by Pope Alexander VI
 Spain-West
 Portugal-East

 SPICES: expensive because of great demand; indigenous to East

 Westward Route: unexplored yet proposed plan to King Charles I of Spain
 Ferdinand Magellan—Portuguese who renounced his citizenship when King
Manel denied him the chance to travel the westward route to reach
Moluccas

MAGELLAN’S
EXPEDITION
 Sept. 20, 1519- Magellan and a crew of 250 men
left Spain aboard 5 ships;
 Trinidad;

 Concepcion; ( Gaspar Quesada ) mutinied

 Santiago (destroyed);

 San Antonio (Esteban Gomez; went back to

Spain)and
 Victoria ( Luis Mendoza) mutinied; eventually
the only successful ship to sail back headed by
Sebastian del Cano
 Back to Spain
 Nov. 8, 1521- the 2 ships, Trinidad (Gomez de Espinosa) and Victoria
(Sebastian de Elcano), landed in Tidore, Moluccas;
 The Trinidad sailed back to Spain by crossing the Pacific to Panama; but
captured by the Portuguese
 While Victoria sailed back via Cape of Good Hope.
 Sept. 6, 1522- arrival in Spain with only 18 survivors led by Elcano
 The voyage lasted 2 years, 11 months and 16 days.
BACKGROUND OF
THE AUTHOR
 Famous Italian traveller born in Vicenza around 1490 and
died in the same city in 1534
  Also known by the name of Antonio Lombardo or
Francisco Antonio Pigafetta.
 He studied astronomy, geography and cartography,
navigation
 Traveled with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan
and his crew by order of the King Charles I of Spain on
their voyage to the Indies
 During the expedition, served as Magellan's assistant and
kept an accurate journal
 He belonged to a rich family of Vicenza
 He was among the 18 survivors who returned to Spain on
September 6, 1522
Background of the Author

 Statue erected in Cebu in 1980

along Plaza Independencia (Fort
San Pedro) by Philippine Italian
Association.
 Mayor Ronaldo Duterte, then
Councilor in June 1977, supported
Jose Cuenco in City Ordinance No.
967 where the street in Cebu was
named after him.
BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENT
 Pigafetta's The First Voyage around the
World is a classic of discovery and
exploration literature.
 Pigafetta kept a detailed journal of what
happened to them from the time they left
Seville in 1519 until they returned to
Spain three years later.
 The original journal of Pigafetta did not
survive time. What was handed to us are
the copies of the manuscript that were
never printed in his lifetime.
First Voyage Around the
World
 one of the most reliable sources about the voyage of
circumnavigation.
 Pigafetta took notes in a daily basis; in his writings, he included
detailed description of animals, plants, places and people
 report is rich in ethnographic details and geographical
impact.
 “having obtained much information from many books that I
have read, as well as from various persons…I determined…
to experience myself and to see those things that might
satisfy me somewhat…”
 •Transylvanus’ De Moluccis
Insulis
•Maximilliaen von
Background of Sevenborgen (1490-1538)
the Document •First printed, the first
account of Magellan
(Courtesy of National
Library of the Philippines)
•Main source about the
expedition along with
Pigafetta.
Background of
the Document

•The Second, Paris edition

of Transylvanus’ De
Moluccis, printed in 1523,
several months after the
first, or Cologne edition
(Courtesy of Massachusetts
Historical Library)
 • The title page of
Pigafetta’s Le
Background of Voyage et
Navigation by
the Document
Jacques Fabre,
Paris. Ca 1525
recently acquired
by the William L.
Clements Library of
the University of
Michigan.
Content Analysis
description of the lives and activities of the people in
the Philippines.
“When they saw the captain’s courtesy, they presented fish,
a jar of palm wine which they called uruca (arrack), figs more
than one palm long (bananas), and others which was smaller
and delicate, and two coconuts. They had nothing else then
but made signs with their hands that they would bring umay
or rice, coconut and other article of food within four days.
Coconuts are the fruit of the palm tree. Just as we have
bread, wine, oil and vinegar so those people get everything
from that tree. They get wine in the following manner. “
Content Analysis:
one of the most important sources of
living of the natives is the palm trees
(niyog) which made the Spaniards
probably amazed how the natives
used efficiently the palm tree, from
the meat to the husk of the coconut.
Content Analysis
Aside from the resourcefulness of the natives, Pigafetta
describe how the natives of Zuluan behave and keep their
promise. Also, he mentioned the presence of gold and white
corals.
“When they were about to retire they took their leave very
gracefully and neatly, saying that they would return
according to their promise.
 Their seignior was an old man who was painted (tattooed).
He wore two gold earrings in his ears, and the other many
gold armlets on their arms and kerchiefs about their heads.”
 Content Analysis
Pigafetta clearly described how welcoming and hospitable
the natives are. Aside from the grand reception they
experienced, he illustrated the richness of the district.
“Pieces of gold, of the size of walnuts and eggs are found by
sifting the earth in the island of that king whom I led to our
ships. All the dishes of that king are of gold and also some
portion of his house, as we were told by that king himself.
According to their customs he was very grandly decked out,
and the finest looking man that we saw among those people.
His hair was exceedingly black and hung to his shoulders. He
had a covering of silk on his head, and wore two large
golden earrings fastened in his ears. “
Content Analysis
Pigafetta observed that the natives
give so much importance to knives:
“Finally, the captain tried to give him a
doppione (gold) worth two ducats, but
he would take nothing but a knife; and
accordingly, the captain had one given
to him.”
Content Analysis
Pigafetta also observed that women
are clothed, according to him:
“their women are clad in tree cloth
from their waist down, and their hair is
black and reaches to the ground. They
have holes pierced in their ears which
are filled with gold.”
Content Analysis
April 7, 1521 the group of Pigafetta entered the
port of Zubu and upon reaching the place, they
fired their artillery that cause fear to the people;
The king of Zubu welcomed them but reminded
that they need to pay tribute, which the
interpreter disagrees:
“my master is captain of great kings, he does
not pay tribute to any seignor in the world.
 Contribution to the
historical narrative
 navigation of Magellan brought development and new discovery in
the field of geography, cartography, navigation and trade; it
enlightens certain issues like the shape of the world and eventually
pave way of other route like using the east-west direction to reach
the Fareast.
 it only proved that the natives of the island are civilized and
enjoyed freedom.
 Pigafetta’s travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of
Philippine historiography. His writing provided us a glimpse of the
political, economic, and social conditions of the islands in the Visayan
region during the 16th century.
 Relevance to contemporary
times
 the book of Pigafetta paves way a wider venue for
discovering other countries aside from the
Philippines. It has opened other perspective about
the other side of the world.
 Magellan’s circumnavigation to the spice
islands later prove vital in determining
the spherical shape of the Earth making it the first one
to prove that the earth is round.
