“

Background
of the Author
Antonio Pigafetta
• born some time in the closing
year of the 15th century
• Parents: Giovanni Pigafetta
and Angela Zoga
• the eldest child among his
siblings of 2
• was a native of Vicenza, a
town about a hundred
kilometers west of Venice,
Italy
 ❖ studied astronomy,
geography, and
cartography
• served on board the ships
of the Knights of Rhodes
at the beginning of the
16th century
• accompanied Monsignor
Antonio Chiericati to Spain in
1519
Pigafetta • accompanied Ferdinand
Magellan, together with
Juan Sebatián Elcano in
the famous expedition to
Moluccas which began in
August 1519 and ended
in September 1522
 Historical
Context of the
Document
The First Voyage Around The
World by Antonio Pigafetta
was written on board one
of the 5 ships that was
first to circumnavigate the
world during an
expedition that was led by
the Portuguese explorer,
Ferdinand Magellan and
after his death during the
voyage, by Juan
Sebastián Elcano. The
expedition started in 1519
and ended in Spain in
1522.
• Name of the Spanish fleet that was led by the Santiago (crew: 32)
Ferdinand Magellan: Armada de Molucca. commanded by Juan
• provided by King Charles V, Rodriguez Serrano and
• included 5 ships: the Trinidad (crew: 55) under the Victoria (crew: 43)
Magellan's command, the San Antonio (crew: 60) commanded by Luiz
commanded by Juan de Cartageña, the Mendoza, which
Concepcion (crew: 45) commanded by Gaspar de carried supplies and
Quesada,
provisions..
The Santiago was a caravel, while
the others were rated as carracks

• At the end of the voyage, Antonio Pigafetta,

the author of the book, was on board the
Victoria; this was the only ship that was
able to return to Spain.
• Upon arrival in Europe,
Pigafetta presented copies
of his account to several
high personages, including
Pope Clement VII, mother
of King Francis I of France,
etc.
• His original diary was lost,
and it is not known in what
language it was written.
• Survives in 4 manuscript
versions; one in Italian, 3
in French
 Analysis of the
Important Historical
Information Found in
the Document
 • Since Magellan and his
crew crossed the
International Dateline,
there is one day added to
IMPORTANT the original dates that
REMINDER Antonio Pigafetta wrote in
his book for the better
perspective of us
Filipinos.
❖ Throughout the expedition, there
served a translator named Enrique
❖ Enrique was from Sumatra (present
day Indonesia) and was a slave of
Ferdinand Magellan
❖ Magellan acquired Enrique as a
slave at Malacca
 March 17, 1521

• (originally March 16)

• Arrival in Zamal (Samar at present)
• The island was called Humunu (now Homonhon)
• Magellan and his men called it Acquada da li buoni Segnialli
(“the Watering-place of Good Signs”)
• There are many islands in that district, and therefore they called
them the archipelago of San Lazaro, as they were discovered on
the Sunday of St. Lazarus
April 1, 1521
• (originally March 31)
• The first mass in the Philippines was
held in Mazaua (Limasawa)
• It was attended by Magellan, Raia
Colambu (Rajah Kolambu), Raia Siaui
(Rajah Siagu), Spanish voyagers, and
the local islanders

❖ (originally April 7)
❖ Magellan and his men entered the port of Zubu
First Mass in the Philippines
 APRIL 8, 1521

• Initially, Magellan and his men

encountered some stuggle when first
entering the port of Zubu.
• The “king” of Zubu wanted Magellan
and his men to pay tribute to them but,
Magellan refused and told the translator
that they are working for the King of
Spain and threatens him with war
 • (originally April 14)
• A mass was held with Raia
Humabon and his people
attending the ceremony
• 800 souls were baptized
• Pigafetta showed the queen
an image of our Lady, a very
beautiful wooden child
April 15, 1521 Jesus, and a cross
• She asked for the little child
Jesus to keep in place of her
idols and this image of child
Jesus is now known as the
Sto. Niño found in Cebu
Image of Sto. Niño de Jesus Given
to the Wife of Raia Humabon
 April 27, 1521

• (originally April 26)

• According to Zula, the chief of Matan,
Cilapulapu refused to obey the king of
Spain
• Cilapulapu did not want to pay
Magellan and his men the goat that
they were promised
• Magellan was not pleased since they
went to Matan to garner food for their
expedition
• Zula requested the
captain to send
him only one
boatload of men to
fight against the
other chief. The
captain- general
decided to go
thither with three
boatloads
• " The captain did not wish to fight
then, but sent a message to the
natives to the effect that if they
would obey the king of Spain,
recognize the Christian king as their
sovereign, and pay us our tribute, he
would be their friend; but that if they
wished otherwise, they should wait
to see how our lances wounded."
 • (orignally April 27)
• At midnight, sixty of
Magellan’s men set
out armed with
corselets and
helmets, Christian
April 28, king, prince, some of
1521 the chief men, 20 or
30 balanghais
• The local islanders
had lances of bamboo
and stakes hardened
with fire
• They shot the captain through the
right leg with a poisoned arrow,
knocked his helmet off his head
twice,

• An Indian hurled a bamboo spear

in the captain’s face, but the latter
immediately killed him with his
lance, which he left in the Indian’s
body
 • (originally April
27)
• 8 of Magellan’s
men were killed,
April 28, 4 Indians were
1521 killed by mortars
• Of Cilapulapu’s
men, only 15
were killed
Battle of Mactan
Contribution of the Document in
Understanding the Grand
Narrative in Philippine History
• Elaborated the lifestyle back then and it described
what the local islanders wore, what they ate, how
they communicated, and how they lived
• Pigafetta's journal is the only known document
about Lapu-Lapu's life
• Considered the best source today of the customs
and usages of the Filipinos in the early 16th
century due to the daily notes Pigafetta took and
details about the expedition that he wrote about
• Contains the first vocabulary of Visayan words
ever penned by a European
Music of the Visayan Inhabitants as Described by
Pigafetta
Vocabulary of the Visayan Words
Listed by Pigafetta
 Relevance of
the Document
• August 10, 1519 = starting
point of the first expedition
around the world of Magellan.
• The book served as an evidence
that the world is round and not
flat
• This book aids the researchers
and students of today in
understanding the context of
the Magellan expedition and
how the whole Europe-
Philippines conflict commenced.
• Magellan discovered the
Pacific Ocean
• Magellan proved that there
was a way to the east by
sailing west
• Growing up, we’ve
understood this issue just
simply as the start of the
Spanish era and Magellan
being the Philippines’ villain
without taking into debate
the context and different
reasons of the expedition.
• The expedition that was held from 1519-1522:
opened many doors for Spain together with many other
different countries around the world due to the
different discoveries from this expedition.
• led the world to be a more globalized society because
of how other countries were revealed to the European
countries.
• businesses rose because of the discoveries that
made up the different products. Collaborations were
also made that benefited the different sides.
• opened many doors for the Philippines
• helped us in knowing how the early
Filipinos lived by the account of a
primary source who witnessed it
firsthand.
• will help us understand how the
Filipinos of the past lived and how
they coped when Magellan and his
men came to the Philippines.
• We discover what religion Filipinos
used to have and they became
Christians.
• We also find out how the first Filipinos
fought and delayed the Spanish
occupation by about 40 years
• Pigafetta’s journal is also a vital piece not only of
Philippine history, but also of World history. He
narrated the events that transpired in a way that
gives the readers of his journal a clear picture of what
it was like to be part of the first voyage around the
world.