1. What is the primary reason of Antonio Pigafetta in writing the document?

Antonio Pigafetta was an Italian scholar and explorer from the Republic of Venice. He
joined the expedition of five ships and 250 men to the Spice Islands led by Portuguese
navigator Ferdinand Magellan attempting to sail around the world. He furnished important
details on the discovery of the islands and people inhabiting the place.
The primary reason of Antonio Pigafetta in writing the document is to discover and learn
about the world. He wanted to record details and information during the expedition which
caused him to join the voyage and served as an assistant to Magellan. Magellan wanted to
prove that the world was round and through his exploration he did prove that the Earth is
round. However, they faced so much circumstance leaving Magellan dead and Pigafetta
managed to survive along with his journal.

Pigafetta had managed to

survive, along with his journal
—notes that detailed the
discovery
of the western route to the
Moluccas. And along the way,
new land, new peoples: on the
far side of the
Pacific, the fleet had
stumbled across the Marianas
archipelago, and some three
hundred leagues
further west, the Philippines.
In conclusion, Pigafetta’s wishful thinking of learning about the world which drives him
to write documents became a significant part of today’s history. His daily notes were the basis
of how the world’s first circumnavigation occurred and be apprehended with certainty. He
encountered new people, tries to earn his authority through a barrage of detail. He attempts to
reconstruct their world for us--what they look like, where they live, what they eat, what they
say--he gives us pages and pages of words, from Patagonia, from Cebu, from Tidore.
2. What is the main theme in the document?

3. Which specific information in Pigafetta’s narrative helps you understand and appreciate more
our history?

4. Provide your personal evaluation on the impact of the document in the understanding of the
16th century people and their culture in the islands.