Juan Sebastián Elcano

Juan Sebastián Elcano[1] (sometimes misspelled del Cano;[1] c.

Juan Sebastián Elcano
1476 – 4 August 1526) was a Spanish explorer of Basque
origin[2][3][4] who completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth.
After Magellan's death in the Philippines, Elcano took command of
the carrack Victoria from the Moluccas to Sanlúcar de Barrameda in
Spain.

Even though Magellan did not survive the trip, he has received more
recognition for the expedition than Elcano has, since Magellan was
the one who started it, since Portugal wanted to recognize a
Portuguese explorer, and due to fear of Basque nationalism.[5] In
2019, the 500th anniversary of the voyage, Spain and Magellan’s
native Portugal have submitted a new joint application to UNESCO
to honour the circumnavigation route.[5]

Contents
Early life Engraving of Elcano
Military life Born Juan Sebastián
Merchant shipping Elcano
Voyage of circumnavigation c. 1476
Honours Getaria, Gipuzkoa,
Castile
Loaísa expedition
Died August 4, 1526
Family life
(aged 49–50)
Cultural depictions Pacific Ocean
See also Nationality Basque (Crown of
References Castile)
External links Occupation Explorer, navigator,
and mariner
Known for First circumnavigation
Early life of the earth

Elcano was born in around 1476 to Domingo Sebastián Elcano and Partner(s) María Hernández
Catalina del Puerto. He had three brothers: Domingo Elcano, a Dernialde
Catholic priest, Martín Pérez Elcano, and Antón Martín Elcano. Children Domingo Elcano III
Parent(s) Domingo Sebastián
Military life Elcano I, and Catalina
del Puerto
Signature
Elcano fought in the Italian Wars under the command of Gonzalo
Fernández de Córdoba in Italy, and in 1509 he joined the Spanish
expedition organized by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros
against Algiers.

Merchant shipping
Elcano settled in Seville and became a merchant ship captain. After breaking Castilian laws by surrendering
a ship to Genoan bankers in repayment of a debt, he sought a pardon from the emperor Charles V, by
signing on as a subordinate officer for the Magellan expedition to the East Indies.

Voyage of circumnavigation
Elcano served as a naval
commander of the emperor
Charles V, and took part in the
expedition to the Philippines. In
1519, this 241-man expedition
set sail with five ships,
Trinidad, Concepción, San
The Magellan expedition
Antonio, Santiago, and Victoria.
Elcano participated in a fierce
mutiny against Magellan before
the convoy discovered the passage through South America, the Strait of
Magellan. He was spared by Magellan and after five months of hard
labour in chains was made captain of the galleon.[6] Santiago was later
destroyed in a storm. The fleet sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to the
eastern coast of Brazil and into Puerto San Julián in Argentina. Several Nao Victoria, a replica of Elcano's
months later they discovered a passage now known as the Strait of ship, in Punta Arenas
Magellan located in the southern tip of South America and sailed
through the strait. The crew of San Antonio mutinied and returned to
Spain. On 28 November 1520, three ships set sail for the Pacific Ocean and about 19 men died before they
reached Guam on 6 March 1521. Conflicts with the nearby island of Rota prevented Magellan and Elcano
from resupplying their ships with food and water. They eventually gathered enough supplies and continued
their journey to the Philippines and remained there for several weeks. Close relationships developed
between the Spaniards and the islanders. They took part in converting the Cebuano tribes to Christianity and
became involved in tribal warfare between rival Filipino groups in Mactan Island.

On 27 April 1521, Magellan was killed and the Spaniards defeated by natives in the Battle of Mactan in the
Philippines. The surviving members of the expedition could not decide who should succeed Magellan. The
men finally voted on a joint command with the leadership divided between Duarte Barbosa and João Serrão.
Within four days these two were also dead. They were killed after being betrayed at a feast at the hands of
Rajah Humabon. The mission was now teetering on disaster and João Lopes de Carvalho took command of
the fleet and led it on a meandering journey through the Philippine archipelago.

During the six-month listless journey after Magellan died, and before reaching the Moluccas, Elcano's
stature grew as the men became disillusioned with the weak leadership of Carvalho. The two ships, Victoria
and Trinidad finally reached their destination, the Moluccas, on 6 November. They rested and re-supplied in
this haven, and filled their holds with the precious cargo of cloves and nutmeg. On 18 December, the ships
were ready to leave. Trinidad sprang a leak, and was unable to be repaired. Carvalho stayed with the ship
along with 52 others hoping to return later.[7]
 Victoria, commanded by Elcano along with 17 other European
survivors of the 240 man expedition and 4 (survivors out of 13)
Timorese Asians continued its westward voyage to Spain crossing
the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. They eventually reached Sanlúcar de
Barrameda on 6 September 1522.[8]

Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian scholar, was a crew member of the

Magellan and Elcano expedition. He wrote several documents about
the events of the expedition. According to Pigafetta the voyage
covered 14,460 leagues—about 81,449 kilometres (50,610 mi).

Honours
Route of the Spanish expedition
through the Spice Islands. The red Emperor Charles V granted Elcano an
cross shows the location of Mactan augmentation of his coat of arms
Island in the Philippines where featuring a world globe with the words
Magellan was killed in 1521. Primus circumdedisti me (Latin: "You
first encircled me")[9] and an annual
pension. His family were given rule
over the Marquisate of Buglas in Negros Island, Philippines. In the modern era,
the country with the most people surnamed "Elcano" is currently the
Philippines.[10]
Elcano's coat of arms
Loaísa expedition
In 1525, Elcano returned to sea, and became a member of the Loaísa expedition. He was appointed leader
along with García Jofre de Loaísa as captains, who commanded seven ships and sent to claim the East Indies
for King Charles I of Spain. Both Elcano and Loaísa and many other sailors died of malnutrition in the
Pacific Ocean, but the survivors reached their destination and a few of them managed to return to Spain.

Family life
Elcano never married but he had a son by María Hernández Dernialde named Domingo Elcano, whom he
legitimized in his last will and testament.[11] Elcano also fathered a daughter with a different woman named
Maria de Vida Urreta.[11]

Cultural depictions
Portrayed by Kiko Jáuregui in the 2019 Spanish CG animated film Elcano & Magellan: The
First Voyage Around the World

See also
History of the Philippines
Spanish ship Juan Sebastián Elcano

References
 1. Elcano y no Cano (http://www.euskomedia.org/PDFAnlt/riev/11194213.pdf)
2. Totoricagüena, Gloria Pilar (2005). Basque Diaspora: Migration And Transnational Identity (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=xy6p3D4AoTIC). University of Nevada Press. p. 132.
ISBN 9781877802454. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
3. Facaros, Dana; Pauls, Michael (2 September 2008). Cadogan Guide Bilbao & the Basque
Lands (https://books.google.com/books?id=XR22kQ7oQiUC). New Holland Publishers. p. 177.
ISBN 978-1-86011-400-7. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
4. Salmoral, Manuel Lucena (1982). Historia general de España y América: hasta fines del siglo
XVI. El descubrimiento y la fundación de los reinos ultramarinos (https://books.google.com/bo
oks?id=4DWBNjs8iwEC). Ediciones Rialp. p. 324. ISBN 978-84-321-2102-9. Retrieved
7 January 2013.
5. " "Who First Circled the Globe? Not Magellan, Spain Wants You to Know" " (https://www.nytime
s.com/2019/09/20/world/europe/spain-portugal-magellan.html).
6. Murphy, Patrick J.; Coye, Ray W. (2013). Mutiny and Its Bounty: Leadership Lessons from the
Age of Discovery (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300170283/mutiny-and-its-bounty).
Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300170283.
7. Humble, Richard (1978). The Seafarers—The Explorers. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books.
8. Kattan-Ibarra, Juan (1995). Perspectivas Culturales de España. p. 71.
9. Nobiliario de conquistadores de Indias (http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/nobiliario-de-con
quistadores-de-indias/). Madrid: Sociedad de Bibliófilos Españoles. 1892. p. 57.
10. https://forebears.io/surnames/elcano
11. Kelsey, Harry (2016). The First Circumnavigators: Unsung Heroes of the Age of Discovery (htt
ps://books.google.com/books?id=3nk8DAAAQBAJ). Yale University Press.
ISBN 9780300220865.

External links
Auñamendi Encyclopedia: Elcano, Juan Sebastián de (http://www.euskomedia.org/aunamendi/
37680?idi=eu&primR=111&op=9&f2=07$04&fclick=2&pos=118) (in Spanish)
Last will and testament of Sebastian Elcano (https://web.archive.org/web/20090502231243/htt
p://www.filipiniana.net/ArtifactView.do?artifactID=GVH000000034&page=1&epage=1)
The expedition of the first circumnavigation of the world, with Google Maps and Earth (https://
www.rutaelcano.com)
Who First Circled the Globe? Not Magellan, Spain Wants You to Know (https://www.nytimes.co
m/2019/09/20/world/europe/spain-portugal-magellan.html)

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