Summary of the First

voyage around the world

By Antonio Pigafetta
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Antonio Pigafetta (ca. 1490-ca. 1534)
known by the name of Antonio
Lombardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta
 Famous Italian traveler
 Bornin Vicenza around 1490
 Died in the same cityin 1534
 Studied astronomy, geography and cartography and during his
younger years, he worked in the ships owned by the Knights of Rhodes.
 Antonio Pigafetta (ca. 1490-ca. 1534)
Joined the Magallanes - Elcano famous expedition to the Moluccas
Begun in August 1519 and finished September 1522
 Had a hand–written account of the expedition entitled
“The First Voyage Around the World” which will be analyzed later
Historical Context
“The First Voyage around the
World” was written in one of
the 5 ships of the Magallanes-Elcano expedition.

These 5 ships were the first one

To circumnavigate around
The world that was led by
Ferdinand Magellan, a
Portuguese explorer , and
When he died in the Battle of
Mactan, Juan Sebastian
King Charles V provided the Elcano tookover.
Spanish fleet named Armada de
Molucca which was led by Magellan.
 The 5 ships

Santiago Concepcion
• Crew: 32 • Crew: 43
• Under the command of Juan • Under the command of
Serrano Gaspar de Quesada
• Smallest of the 5 ships • Captain was executed
• Called as ‘caravel’ because of mutiny
• first ship that has been lost • burned
• Third ship that has been lost

San Antonio
Trinidad
• Crew: 60 • Crew: 55
• Under the command of Juan • Under the command of
De Cartagena Ferdinand Magellan
• Soon led by Alvarado De
• The Flagship
Mesquita
• Was attacked by Portuguese
• Largest in the fleet ship
• The second ship that has been lost • Left shipwrecked
• The fourth ship that has been lost

Victoria
• Crew: 43
• Under the command of Luiz
• Mendoza; soon led by Juan
Sebastian Elcano
• Antonio Pigafetta on board
• First ship circumnavigated the world
• Only ship to complete the voyage
Upon the advice of Pigafetta’s associates, he
presented his account to Pope Clement VII,
Philippe de Villiers I’Isle-Adam, and to Louis of
Savoy to finance its publication. But, he was unable
to find a financier.

The original journal of Pigafetta did not survived

throughout the history. What was handed to us was
just the manuscript that never came out of the press
during his lifetime.
About The Text
 What was discussed?

The fate of the five ships throughout the

expedition.

The challenges and unforeseen problems along the

way of the expedition such as hostility of the people
they met, shortage of food, misunderstandings
between the crew, types of diseases.

maps, glossaries of native words, geographic

information and descriptions of the flora and
fauns of the place they visited
Context Presentation
and Analysis of the
important historical
Information found in
the Document
 The timeline during their stay in the
Philippines

Arrived in Zamal(now Samar),the island was

Called Humunu(now Homonhon).

Locals welcomed them by giving them their

native products such as fish,pigs, coconuts, palm
wine.

March 16, 1521

Arrival in
Samar
 The timeline during their stay in the
Philippines

Sunday morning

Held at Mazaua (Limasawa)

Attended by local islanders,Spanish voyagers,

The two Rajas, and Magellan

March 31, 1521

FIRST MASS IN THE
PHILIPPINES
 The timeline during their stay in the
Philippines
Arrived at the port of Zubu (Cebu),the largest
And the most tradei sland

Pigafetta describedthe inhabitants’houses that were

Made of logs

Fired mortars as a “sign of peace and friendship

Tension between the king of Zubu and the voyagers

And Magellan threatened them to rage war

April 7, 1521
Arrival in zubu
 The timeline during their stay in the
Philippines

Held mass with Raja Humabon and baptized

800 souls
Pifagetta showed the image of Child Jesus and across
To the queen and asked to keep in place of her idols

The Child Jesus is known today as Santo Niño,

Which is celebrated every January in Cebu

April 14, 1521

IMAGE OF CHILD
JESUS
 The timeline during their stay in
the Philippines

Datu Zula ,chief of the island Matan(Mactan)

Welcomed them. But Ci lapulapu,the other chief,
Refused to obey to the king of Spain.

Datu Zula requested the captain to defeat

Ci lapulapu, which started the battle

Natives outsmarted them, and used ‘patibongs’ to defeat

them.The voyagers were losing in this battle
April 27, 1521
BATTLE OF MACTAN
 The timeline during their stay in
the Philippines
Captain told them to give up this losing battle,
But his men insist.

Magellan was shot in the leg with a poisoned arrow.

He died,their mirror,‘comfort’,and ‘true guide’ as
What Pigafetta described.

They retreated leaving their captain dead.

April 28, 1521

DEATH OF MAGELLAN
September 8, 1522
Victoria ,the only ship
Survived ,finally arrived at
Seville. Thus ,ending the
Magallanes-Elcano
expedition.
Contribution and
relevance of the
Document in
Understanding the
Grand Narrative of
Philippine History
The account contributed to the field of geography,
navigation, and history.

It proved that the earth is not flat, and one can go

to the east by sailing west.

Discovery that there is a big body of easter side of

American continent which they called Pacific
ocean.

Make us know the different native products during

the pre-colonial period such as palm wine, figs,
coconuts, palmito, and such.
It proved that the Philippines was rich in natural
resources even before the colonial period.

Described the barter trade during the colonial

period.

Make us know the physical appearance of our

ancestors: wearing gold earrings, gold armlets
on their arms, kerchiefs on their heads.

Described the economic and political status

during the pre-colonial era
Described the faith or religion during the pre
colonial period: worshipping the nature.

This account is an evidence that these voyagers

first introduced to us Christianity. They taught our
ancestors worship idols.

Let us know some rare animals present during that era.

Let us know the way of life of our ancestors such as

their houses and livelihood.
An evidence that most of the Filipinos are
hospitable even before.

Let us know the funeral practices and beliefs

during the pre-colonial period.

Showed the ‘nationalism’ of Lapulapu before, it

also showed how wise and prepared they fought
against
the voyagers.
 References
https://thebiography.us/en/pigafetta-antonio

https://archive.org/details/firstvoyageround00piga
https://prezi.com/p/fjnraprzdu7l/the-first-voyage-around- the-w
orld/