Antonio Pigafetta’s

The First Voyage

Around the World
Content and Contextual Analysis
of Selected Primary Source in the
Philippines by CE-2C Group 1
01 Author’s Background Contribution and Relevance of
the Document in Understanding
04 the Grand Narrative of Phil.
History
Primary Source’s
02 Background Relevance of the Document to
Content Analysis of 05 the Present Time
03 Primary Source
 Background of the Author
• Pigafetta was a venetian scholar.
• He joined the expedition to the spice islands.
• He served as Magellan’s assistant.
• Pigafetta was known for chronicling Magellan’s
circumnavigation.
• Pigafetta was one of the 18 men who made the complete
trip, returning to Spain in 1522.
Antonio Pigafetta
(1480 – 1531) Works of Pigafetta
• Relazione del primo viaggio intorno al mondo.
• Regole sull’arte del navigare.
 Background of the Primary Source
Locate where the primary can be found
Type of Primary Source
The Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian Library
Manuscript
Date Published
Parts or Chapters
The first Voyage Around the World
• Introduction
was originally published in 1525.
• Bio-bibliographical Note
Determine the Intended Audience
• Note on the Text and
The manuscript was intended for
Translation
the European audience.
• Chronology of the Voyage
• Notes
Look for the purpose or motive of the source
• Bibliography
To journalize the things that they experienced
• Index
during the expedition.
 Content Analysis of the Primary Source

• Description of the precolonial Filipinos’ lives, cultures, and beliefs such as their foods,
livelihood, appearance (mainly how they dressed), livelihood, and religion, proving that
civilizations and other systems already exists even before they set foot in the Philippine
archipelago.

• Conversion of the natives to Christianity headed by Magellan and his crew.

• Magellan is also responsible for the first mass in the Philippines.

• Ferdinand Magellan’s death in the Philippines.

Biases
Strongly Positive Strongly Negative
(In favor of) (against)

• Racial Superiority • Indigenous Beliefs

• Christianity • Muslims
• Himself and Magellan • Natives
 Contribution and Relevance of the First Voyage Around the World
in Understanding the Grand Narrative of Philippine History

Contribution of the Document

• 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.

• It helped us understand how the Filipinos lived in the past and how they dealt with
Magellan and his men when they arrived in the Philippines.

• Contains the first vocabulary of Visayan words ever penned by a European.

Relevance of the Document

• The book served as 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 and proved that there was a way to the east by
sailing west.
• The expedition opened many doors and opportunities not only for Philippines and Spain
but together with many other countries.
• Helped us know and understand how to Filipinos lived the past by the account of a
primary source who witnessed it firsthand.
• Discovered what religion Filipinos used to have and they became Christians. (Animism).
• We also found out that the first Filipinos fought and delayed the Spanish occupation by
years.
 Relevance of the Document to the Present Time

 Novelty

• It demonstrated that the Philippines existed long before Magellan’s discovery .

• Made contributions to the fields of geography, history, and navigation

 Applicability

• Define the Filipinos’ cleverness and readiness as they fought the voyagers
• Evidence of Filipinos’ hospitality
• Pre-colonial practices and beliefs
 Relevance of the Document to the Present Time

 Memory
• First globe circumnavigation
• One of the most important documentary pieces of evidence on the geographical
discoveries of the Sixteenth Century
• Through Christianity

 Effect

• Created opportunities in the Philippines

Thank you!