Content and Contextual Analysis of (Travelogue): Antonio Pigafetta's

“First Voyage Around the World”

I. Pre-reading Activity

A. Background of the Author Antonio Pigafetta (1480-1531)

 Pigafetta's exact year of birth is not known, with estimates ranging between 1480 and
1491.
 Antonio Pigafetta is a famous Italian traveler and a Venetian scholar. He is also known as
Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta. He was born in a wealthy family in
Vicenza in Northeast Italy.
 His parents are Giovanni Pigafetta and Angela Zogathe, and he is the eldest child among
the three children. In his youth, he studied astronomy, geography, cartography, but
studied navigation the most. He served on the board of ships of the Knights of Rhodes at
the beginning of 16th century.
 On 1519, he accompanied the Papal Nuncio Monsignor Francisco Chieregati to Spain. At
around 30 years old, he heard in Seville that Magellan will have an expedition and he
decided to join. It is under the flag of King Charles I of Spain.
 The voyage started on August 1519 to Maluku islands (Moluccas) and to the Spice
Islands. He served as Magellan's assistant and kept an accurate journal that was translated
later to Cebuano language. It is the first recorded document in the said language. He
accepted the title of supernumerary and a salary of 1,000 maravedis (various Iberian
coins of gold and silver between 11th and 14th centuries).
 In April 1521, he was wounded at the battle in Mactan, Cebu (Philippines) wherein
Magellan was killed. The 18 men out of 240 and Pigafetta who joined the voyage with
Magellan returned to Spain in September 1522 after the battle. They were accompanied
by Juan Sebastian Elcano on board of the Victoria. These men who survived completed
the first circumnavigation of the world.
 He died on 1531 at Vicenza, Republic of Venice at the age of 40-50 years old. Pigafetta's
surviving journal was the source about Magellan and Elcano's voyage. One warship of
the Italian Navy (a destroyer of the Navigators class) was named after Pigafetta in 1931.

B. Historical Background of the Text

 September 1522, upon reaching the port in Sanlucar de Barrameda in the modern
province of Cadiz, Pigafetta returned to the Republic of Venice. He related his
experiences in the "Report on the First Voyage Around the World" (Italian: Relazione del
Primo Viaggo Intorno al Mondo), which was composed in Italian. Before it was
published by Italian historian Giovanni Battista Ramusio in 1550-1559, it was distributed
to European monarchs in handwritten form. The account centers the events in the
 Mariana Islands and Philippines, although it includes several maps of other areas such as
“Pacific Ocean" (Oceano Pacifico).
 Portugal and Spain were involved in an intense rivalry to see who could find and claim
new territory to source the spices coveted by European aristocrats.
 The Treaty of Tordesillas was effective at that time. It is an agreement
between Spain and Portugal to settle conflicts over lands newly discovered or
explored by Christopher Columbus.
 In 1505, Magellan, in service to Portugal, joined the fight, traveling to India, Malaysia,
and Indonesia. However, he was accused of illegal trading and fell out with Manuel
I, who turned down his proposal to locate a new spice route.
 Magellan abandoned his Portuguese loyalty, transferred his allegiance to Spain
through King Charles V, and eventually gained his trust.
 Magellan led an expedition of five ships with 237 men, namely, San Antonio, Santiago,
Concepcion, Victoria, and Trinidad. However, only one remained and returned to
Spain after the expedition, Victoria.
 Pigafetta wrote the Chronicle onboard in one of the five ships that were first to
circumnavigate the world during an expedition.
 The “First Voyage Around the World” was one of the accounts written by Antonio
Pigafetta in his narrative and cartographic record journal “Chronicles of Magellan
Expedition.”

C. Content Analysis of the Important Historical Information Found in the

Document
 On March 16, 1521, Magellan and his crew arrived in the Philippines island, or
what they called as islands of Ladroni. They first reached the island of Zamal (Samar in
present).
 On March 18, 1521, there came some natives giving signs of joy for the presence of the
crew of Magellan. The native Filipinos did welcome the foreigners warmly. As described
by Pigafetta, “they exhibited great signs of pleasure at seeing us.”
 Seeing that the natives are reasonable men, Magellan gave them red caps, mirrors, comb,
and other things. In return, the natives offered fish, wine, coconuts, and other resources.
 Magellan named the place (Islands of Humunu) as the “Archipelago of San
Lazarus” due to the several islands located in that district. “Archipelago of San Lazarus”
was the primitive name of the Philippines.
 Magellan succeeds in his plan to influence the faith of the people on the island he has
conquered.
 The first Mass in our country happened on March 31 and Eastern day. The first cross
was then set up in Mazaua (Limasawa) as wished by Magellan for the benefits of the
natives.
 The native Filipinos have their idols before and a God, which they called “Abba,” but
they threw this belief away as they embraced Christianity which Magellan introduced.
  Magellan and his crew went to Zubu (Cebu) on April 7, upon hearing good
reports about the island from the King of Mazaua.
 They are not immediately warmly welcomed, for they were asked to pay tribute, but
Magellan refused to do so.
 There was a negotiation through a notary. The King of Zubu asked for a drop of their
blood as a sign of their friendship, both agreed.
 On Zubu, the captain’s power to influence the faith of people worked.

Content and Context Analysis

 The primary source itself is not an essay but a narrative depiction of the events that
occurred.
 The primary sources have a bias, the opinion of the author is in favor of Spaniards. He
defends the Spaniards attack on Latroni people deeming as savages.
 The journal was written from the author’s experience or memory during Ferdinand
Magellan’s voyage worldwide, most specifically in the Philippine Islands.
 It was very detailed and supplied a lot of information.
 The narrative was in “in media’s res.” It started during the Battle in Mactan then
proceeded to a flashback when Magellan and his crew came to the island and their
experiences during their stay.
 It contains vivid descriptions of the pre-colonized Filipinos’ lives and cultures, such
as their food, rich natural resources, appearance, livelihood, and religion. It only
proves that there were already civilizations and political systems, even before they came
to the archipelago.
 Magellan and his crew were the people who converted some of the natives to
Christianity. Consequently, they were also the ones responsible for the first Mass in
the Philippine Islands.
 Ferdinand Magellan, indeed, died in the Philippines.

D. Contribution and Relevance of the Document in Understanding the Grand

Narrative of Philippine History
 The account is proof of the richness, governance, and independence in our
country in the pre-colonial era.
 Christianity, as the largest religion in the world, was propagated in the Philippines by
Ferdinand Magellan.
 The faith of the natives before is just about raising hands and clapping, building
different images of their God, until Magellan introduced Christianity to them. It
was accepted and practiced by Filipinos and has been a considerable part of our
culture and beliefs.
  The account of Pigafetta enriched Philippine historiography because it contains
essential details about the conditions of the Visayan Islands in the 16th century.
 Local textbook writers use his book as their historical information source about the
beginning of Christianity in the Philippines.
 The document also narrated the status (inferiority) of the Filipinos in warfare, manner of
dressing, and system of writing.

E. Relevance of the Document to the Present Time

 The Antonio Pigafetta document gave a detailed chronicle of the significant events of the
exploration of Ferdinand Magellan.
 Antonio Pigafetta's chronicle contributed immensely to European historiography
as it preserved and popularized the Magellan-Elcano expedition's achievements.
 It provided a description, location, and distances of the places visited, thereby
enhancing cartography knowledge at that time.
 He proved to other explorers and the people today that circumnavigating the
world was possible.
 They proved that the Earth is not flat but an oblate sphere.
 They confirmed that the Portuguese route is not the only way to the Spice Islands.
 They discovered a large body of water on the side of the American continent, which they
named the Pacific Ocean.
 They found a strait that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean sand called it the Strait
of Magellan.
 In conclusion, First Voyage Around the World was a great achievement for navy
exploration and discovery. Provide knowledge/lesson that helps everyone to improved to
be a better person/nation.