(First Voyage Around the World – Antonio Pigafetta)

The Magellan Route is the trail of the First Voyage Around the World. It is a universal
and global road because it is developed throughout the main oceans and all the continents in
both planet hemispheres. This route is the way traced by the nautical expedition made by the
first world circumnavigation in the dawning of the16th century. It was organized and led by one
of the most extraordinary explorer and sailor in the world history, Ferdinand Magellan, who for
the first time placed in the maps not only a new and immense ocean, which has then been fully
navigated for the first time, but also the Strait (in Chile) that connected the two big oceans the
Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This route was used during four centuries to connect the
East and the West through the sea, since it was the only possible route used by ships. The
valuable contribution of this universal route to the human history can be seen not only in the
voyage itself, but also in the historical background of the voyage and in the consequences, it
had in the development of several civilizations. This such extraordinary journey cannot be
understood without having in mind a historical moment shared by Portugal and Spain. Both
were acutely dedicated to research and achieved knowledge about nautical technology,
cartography and astronomy, as well as other fields related to the exploration of the oceans.
Since the beginning of the 16th century, the navigation route designed by Magellan and his
sailors during the First Circumnavigation around the World has geographical and symbolically
linked different cultures and civilizations, providing exchanges and achievements in commerce,
scientific knowledge and cultural, artistic and religious practices. It may be said that the first
globalization of our world started in that moment. Also, for the first-time people became aware of
the multicultural fact, because multiculturalism was empirically shown as the diversity of people
and cultures that made contact with each other, which could be seen by intuition and audacity of
an almost unnamed person who was involved in the trip, the Italian Antonio Pigafetta, the same
who left a diary-like written record of the expedition, where he reported day by day befallen
events. In sum, Magellan Route represents the confirmation of the Earth’s roundness, is at the
origins of the concept of globalism and the universality of knowledge. Thanks to the discovery of
the Strait of Magellan and the crossing of the Pacific Ocean, new models of expansion,
commercial and economic were well known, involving countries from all continents.
Pigafetta's work is important not only as a source of information about the voyage itself, but
also includes an early Western description of the people and languages of the Philippines. Of the
approximately 240 men who set out with Magellan, Pigafetta was one of only 18 who returned to
Spain. 

Pigafetta has the merit to have recorded in his chronicles a major event of the History of
the Philippines, the first encounter between Filipinos and Europeans. His work "Report on the
First Voyage around the World" includes the earliest documents available on the language and
culture of the islands of Samar and Cebu.
● Short Biography
○ Antonio Pigafetta ( c. 1491 –
c. 1531) also known as Antonio
Lombardo or
Francisco Antonio Pigafetta.
○ Born in 1491 Pigafetta was
from a rich family of Vicenza on
the west portion
of Venice, Italy.
○ He was the eldest son of
Giovanni Pigafetta and Angela
Zoga. He was also
known as Antonio Lombardo or
Francisco Antonio Pigafetta.
○ Pigafetta’s nationality was
Italian and Venetian
○ He died in 1532
Short Biography
○ Antonio Pigafetta ( c. 1491 – c. 1531) also known as Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio
Pigafetta.
○ Born in 1491 Pigafetta was from a rich family of Vicenza on the west portion of Venice, Italy.
○ He was the eldest son of Giovanni Pigafetta and Angela Zoga. He was also known as Antonio
Lombardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta.
○ Pigafetta’s nationality was Italian and Venetian
○ He died in 1532

Academic Carer
○ Antonio Pigafetta studied astronomy, geography, and cartography.
○ During the expedition. Before he became the assistance of Ferdinand Magellan he served
onboard the ships of the Knights of Rhodes at the beginning of the 16th century. Until 1519, he
accompanied the delegation of Monsignor Francisco Chieregati when he was appointed as the
Papal Nuncioin Spain in the year 1519.
Published Works
○ Antonio Pigafetta’s notable work is the journal entitled “The First Voyage Round the World
○ Pigafetta also published other works such as Il Primo Viaggio Intorno Al Mondo, To America
and Around the World, and Magellan’s Voyage Aroundthe World from Vol. 1 to 3
○ Pigafetta accompanied Ferdinand Magellan, together with Juan Sebastian Elcano in august
1519 in the most famous expedition to the Moluccas which ended in September 1522

(The Content of the Material)

● Key point focused on the Material
○ The book served as a piece of evidence that the world is round and not flat
○ The book showed that Magellan discovered the Pacific Ocean
○ The book also proved that there was a way to the east by sailing to the west
● Contribution and Relevance of the Material in Understanding Philippine History
○ Pigafetta wrote in his book for the better perspective of Filipinos
○ Pigafetta’s book aids researchers and students in understanding the context of the
Magellan expedition and how the whole Europe-Philippines conflict started
 .○ Pigafettas’s book also helped Filipinos in knowing how the early Filipinos lived by the
account of a primary sources who witnessed it firsthand
○ With the help of his book, it helped many Filipinos to understand how the Filipinos of
the past lived and how they coped up when Magellan and his crew arrived to the Philippines.
○ Documented the life of lapu-Lapu
○ Contains the first vocabulary of Visayan words
○ The best source of customs and usage of the Filipinos in the early 16thcentury
 THE CUSTOMS OF THE TAGALOGS
The Customs of the Tagalogs" mainly focuses on the government, administration of
justice, slaves, inheritance and dowries. Juan de Plasencia mentioned in his account that every
Barangay, a tribal gathering consists of 30-100 families together with their slaves, have their
own Dato, at the top of the social status, who governed the people and was the captain in their
wars, followed by the Maharlikas, commoners and slaves. Plasencia described how children
were divided between the married Maharlika and slave (Namamahay or Sa Guiguilid). Plasencia
also noted the dowry system that was practiced by the native Tagalogs-dowries were given by
the men to the women's parents before marriage. Moreover, Plansencia mentioned the
worships of the tagalogs noting that the Filipinos have no temples but they have what they call
Simbahan which means "a place of adoration" because this is where they gather when they
wish to do a fcast, called Pandot or Worship. He also mentioned that Filipinos worship idols and
one of them is what they call Bathala which signifies "all powerful" or "maker of all things". They
also worship the sun, the moon and even the stars. They have idols such as LIC-HA, Dian
Masalanta (the patron of lovers), Lacapati and Indianale (patrons of cultivated lands), they also
paid reverence to Buayas He commented that Filipinos are very liable to find auguries in things
they witnessed and also practiced divination. In addition, the manner of burying also differs
based on the status of the deceased as what Plasencia described. They also have distinctions
among the priests of the devils such as: Catolonan, Sonat, Mangaguay, Manyisalat,
Mancocolam, Hocloban, Silagan, Magtatangal, Osuan, Mangagayoma, Pangatahojan. Filipinos
also believe in ghosts which they call Vibit, Tikbalang and Patianac. However, he noted here
that such beliefs were already erased through the teaching of the holy gospel.

AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND
Juan de Plasencia

 Born in the 16th century to the illustrious family of the Portocarreros in Plasencia in the
region of Extremadura, Spain.
 He was a Spanish Friar of the Franciscan order
 Said to have been inspired to be a Franciscan because of his upbringing spent during
a spiritual and religious resurgence afected by Spain's siglo de oro

Arrival in the Philippines

 Came with the irst batch of Franciscan missionaries in the Philippines in 1577.
 His real name is Joan de Puerto Carrero, del convento de Villanueva de la Serena.
Life in the Philippines
 Started preaching in Laguna de Bay and Quezon areas as early as two months upon arrival
in Manila.
 Also preached in provinces in Bulacan and Rizal
 Elected as the custos of the friars on May 23, 1584 and held it until 1588.
 Died in Liliw, Laguna in the year 1590.

Juan de Plasencia
 Well reputed as the one who took the leading role in fostering the spread of primary
education.
 Converted natives, taught catechisms, and organized towns and barangays in the Philippines.
 Promoted the understanding of both the Spanish language among the natives, and the local
languages among the missionaries, to facilitate the task of spreading Christianity.
 Initiated the Reduccion Policy
 Policy to reduce or resettle natives in central locations.
 Some of his works aimed to put an end to some injustices being committed against the
natives by certain government oicials.

Works of Juan de Plasencia

 Arte de la Lengua (Art of Language)
 Vocabulario
 Coleccion de frases tagala (Collection of Tagalog Phrases)
 Catecismo de la Doctrina Cristiana (1581)
 Translated the Christian Doctrines in Tagalog
 Diccionario Tagalog (1580)
 La Santina (1585)
 Opus on prayer and meditation
 Relacion de las Costumbres de Los Tagalos (1589)
 First Civil Code of the Philippines