Magallanes: The first round the world began and ended in Cádiz

Great celebrities are related in some way to Cádiz. They are born here, they die here, or they begin their journeys here. That is what leads us to speak of Magallanes. The first round the world did not happen as Jules Verne wrote. It was even more novel. Continues reading and discovers the great adventure of Magallanes

Who was Magallanes and Elcano?

Fernando de Magallanes was a Portuguese military man, explorer, sailor and navigator. Juan Sebastian Elcano was a Spanish sailor who, together with Magallanes, complete the first round the world. The trip began to be organized two years earlier in Seville, where he met Juan de Aranda, the factor of the Casa de Contratación. Thanks to his contact, he began his project to give Spain the possibility of reaching Moluccas from the west, without crossing seas reserved for the Portuguese.

Painting of Magallanes and Elcano (okdiario.com)

Around the world

The purpose of the expedition was to open new trade routes with the spice islands, seeking passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The expedition consisted of five ships that departed from the Sanlúcar de Barrameda post on September 20, 1519.
After having explored the American coastline to the south of Brazil for months. He managed to cross the Strait of Magellan in 1520. On the Pacific crossing he reached the Philippine Islands, where he ended up dying a year later in the Battle of Mactan. They continued their navigation to the Moluccas, the objective of the trip. From there, I captained the Juan Sebastian Elcano fleet. They sailed through the Indian Ocean, circling Africa. The Victoria, the only ship left in the expedition, returned to Seville with its cargo of spices.

The map of the voyage of Magallanes and Elcano (abc.com)

The importance of this trip

After that great trip, it confirmed that Aristotle’s theory was true: the Earth was spherical. It found that the terrestrial sphere was much larger than thought. It discovered that between America and Asia there was a great ocean, managing to cross it. The Strait of Magellan was given its name, in addition to other territories for Europeans. This brought the discovery of fauna and flora that was not known until now. He also opened new commercial networks and contacts between colonies and countries.
They built a replica of the Victoria ship for the Universal Exhibition in Seville. To commemorate this feat of the Spanish discoverers, they undertaken a globe trip in 2004 and returned back to Seville two years later.

Painting of sailing (elobservador.com)

If you want to know more about this incredible adventure that changed the history of Spain and the Spanish Empire, contact us and we will design the best trip adapted to your tastes, schedules and needs.

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