Top 15 Interesting facts about Amerigo Vespucci

Top 15 Interesting Facts about Amerigo Vespucci

Originally published by Francesca on August 2021, updated by Charity K on April 2023.

Nowadays it is possible to get to know new places and reach them in a very simple way.

Whether by high-speed train, plane, or ferry you can reach any location in the world. Unfortunately, this was not the case in the past.

Understanding what the world was like and getting to know new places took a long time. Expeditions and discoveries took place by ship and lasted for months and years.

New civilizations and places allowed to spread of many different spices, foods, plants, and animals. At the same time, new routes were also drawn and trade routes expanded.

The beginning of a real pre-globalization started here. From the intuition of some men who have bet on their ideas.

Let’s see together the top 10 Interesting facts about Amerigo Vespucci.

Read more about world discoveries here.

1. Who is Amerigo Vespucci

Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence in 1454.

His was a Florentine family of noble origins. Even today it is possible to admire the Vespucci chapel in the Ognissanti church.

Throughout his life, he was a cartographer, navigator, explorer, and cosmographer.

In 1490 he moved to Seville where he met Christopher Columbus.

He began his travels and became an expert on the seas.

During his explorations of the eastern coasts of South America, he realized that Columbus had discovered a new continent.

On February 22, 1512, Vespucci died in Seville, where he moved to work as a merchant in about 1490.

2. His letters

Letters by cocoparisienne – Pixabay

Vespucci remains the key figure even in the decades following 1492.

In the first half of the 16th century, his writings spread everywhere.

Thanks to him, the Europeans were able to learn about the customs and traditions. People wanted more information about the inhabitants of the discovered continent.

The Europeans believed that he had usurped Columbus’s discovery. Others were fervent supporters of Vespucci.

The letter “Mundus Novus” tells his journey at the service of the Portuguese during 1501-1502. The letter was then addressed to Lorenzo De Medici.

Is a testimonial about the “Indios” and their story and practices. Even the most absurd characteristics according to the canons of that time.

Instead, the “Letter of Vespucci of the islands found again in four of his voyages” tells of his fourth voyage.

3. The discovery of new worlds

World by FelixMittermeier – Pixabay

During his life, Vespucci took 4 trips.

The first took place between 1497 and 1498. He participated in the journey together with Juan De La Cos at the behest of Ferdinand of Aragon.

His second trip took place between 1499-1500. He participated together with Alonso de Ojeda. They landed in modern-day Guyana.

His third journey lasted between 1501 and 1502. He reached Cape Verde and met the Jew Gaspar da, Gama. He described the peoples, fauna, and vegetation of India. For this reason, Vespucci concluded that it was not Asia but the New World.

In his fourth and last voyage ( 1503 and 1504), he reached the island he called Fernando de Noronha. And in the end, he reached Brazil.

Click here to read more about American Discoveries.

4. The sailing ship dedicated to Amerigo Vespucci

Amerigo Vespucci by Erich Westendarp – Pixabay

The Amerigo Vespucci training ship is the Navy ship.

It was then built on 12 May 1930 at the shipyard of Castellamare di Stabia.

The ship joined her smaller twin known as “Christopher Columbus”.

The ship’s motto is “Not who begins but what perseveres”

According to their official website here :

“it is a sailing ship with an engine; it is” ship-armed “with three vertical masts, foremast, main and mizzen. The unit is also equipped with cutting sails: the jibs, at the bow”.

The port of assignment of the ship is La Spezia. From the moment the ship entered service has always been used to train cadets of the Naval Academy.

5. The Museum of navigators

Compass by Ylanite Koppens da Pixabay

At Borgognissanti in Florence, soon you will find the beautiful “Museum of Navigators”. Which, given the current situation, will allow you to see the exhibition also online.

You will get to know the stories of the best navigators and their discoveries.

Their knowledge of navigation, cartography, and cosmography.

You will find information about Amerigo Vespucci and his discoveries.

Check their website here for more information about it!

6. The portrait of Amerigo Vespucci at Ognissanti

Cobbled wall in Florence- by r Txllxt TxllxT- Wikimedia Commons

If you race at the Borgo di Ognissanti in Florence you will find the Vespucci family chapel.

Amerigo di Stagio, his grandfather had it built. Around 1473 he had the chapel embellished with a fresco.

The fresco is still attributed to Domenico il Ghirlandaio.

Once inside you will find the altar. You can admire the Pietà and the Madonna Della Misericordia. The Madonna with the mantle protects the Vespucci family.

Amerigo Vespucci is on the left and supports the mantle.

7. America

old map by Ylanite Koppens da Pixabay

The name “America” given to the continent allows us to remember the great navigator that he was.

It was not he himself who gave the name to the continent. He was not aware of it. It was Matthias Rigmann and Martin Waldseemuller who attributed this name.

During the realization of their treatise “Cosmographiae Introductio”.

They thus baptized the “new world” in the great planisphere.

Read more about world discoveries here.

8. Unpublished letters of Vespucci

Letter by Andrys Stienstra da Pixabay

Amerigo Vespucci was in constant contact with Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici.

The few remains of these correspondences were for a long time unpublished. The letters were unknown to everyone.

Until the 18th and 19th centuries!

These letters show discrepancies with the other groups of letters that later became pamphlets.

For this reason, some scholars have considered them unreliable.

9. The cultural influences of Vespucci

Dante by SALVATORE MONETTI da Pixabay

Vespucci was a cultured man and this is denoted by his works.

Within them, he makes references to the Apocalypse of the Apostle John, to Pliny the Elder’s “Naturalis Historia“.

Without forgetting the rhymes of Petrarca and the references to Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy.

10. Eternal fame

Vespucci by WikimediaImages da Pixabay

Despite all the doubts about Vespucci, he is still considered the greatest navigator.

His value cannot have doubts. In 1508 he obtained the nomination as “Piloto Mayor” of the kingdom of Spain.

The highest honor was then granted to a navigator.

The honor allowed him to organize expeditions. Vespucci organized everything.

In this way, he could ensure the success of the expeditions assigned to him.

11. He Discovered America as a Separate Continent.

The most notable discovery that Vespucci did was to identify America as a totally different continent from Asia. His voyage in 1501 brought about this opening that the world was not just one but different across the waters.

12. Discovery of the Amazon River

Coordenação-Geral de Observação da Terra/INPE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

His voyage to the south from Guyana brought about the discovery of the Amazon River mouth. He also became the first to get to Cape St. Augustine. This was undiscovered until his voyage in the Atlantic Ocean.

13. The Name America is Derived from His Name Amerigo

The name America was drawn from his name Amerigo. The name was Italian as he was an Italian explorer. He explored America as a new continent. His exploration was on behalf of Spain and Portugal as well as Italy.

14. His Father was a well-known Notary

He was born to a well-known family on March 9, 1454, in the town of Florence in Italy. His father was known as a money changer guide in the town of Florence. He was the third child. Of importance to note is that his family was highly respected in Florence.

15. He was Employed by The Medici Family

He was employed by a very progressive family, Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici who was an Italian banker and at the same time politician. The banker had a brother called Giovanni. The family governed the city-state of Florence. Due to his good work, he was relocated to Seville in Spain to work for the family business in 1492.

Read more about world discoveries here.