The Voyage of Verrazzano eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 213 pages of information about The Voyage of Verrazzano.

The Voyage of Verrazzano eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 213 pages of information about The Voyage of Verrazzano.

These maps passed at once into Italy; and that of Ribero, bearing the date of 1529 and the arms of the then reigning pontiff, Clement VII, and his successors, the most finished of the three copies known to exist, is still to be found at Rome, and is reasonably supposed to have been the original; and like the last decade of Peter Martyr in 1526, which mentions the discoveries of Gomez, to have been sent to the Holy Father at his desire, in order to keep him informed of the latest discoveries. [Footnote:  Nouvelles Annales des Voyages.  Nouvelle series, tome xxxv.  Annee 1853.  Tome troisieme.  Paris.  Les Papes geographes et la cartographic du Vatican.  Par R. M. Thomassey.  Appendix p. 275.] Other copies of the Spanish charts showing the exploration of Gomez, found their way in to Italy about the same time, proving that there was then no interdict against their exportation from Spain to that country, at least. [Footnote:  In regard to the freedom which the charts of the Spanish navigators so enjoyed there is confirmatory proof in Ramusio.  In the preface to his third volume, dedicated to his friend Fracastor of Florence, he writes:  “All the literary men daily inform you of any discovery made known to them by captain or pilot coming from those parts, and among others the aforesaid Sig.  Gonzalo (Oviedo) from the island of Hispaniola, who every year visits you once or twice with some new made chart.”] This appears by a volume which was published in Venice in 1534 under the auspices of Ramusio, [Footnote:  M. d’Avezac in Bulletin de la Societe de Geographic for July and August, 1872.] embracing a summary of the general history of the West Indies by Peter Martyr and a translation of Oviedo’s natural history of the Indies of 1526, containing the account of Gomez’ voyage, with a map of America upon which the discoveries of Gomez are laid down the same as upon the Spanish maps of 1527 and 1529, before mentioned.  The following colophon, giving the origin of this map, is to be found at the end of the translation of Oviedo:  “Printed at Venice, in the month of December 1534.  For the explanation of these books there has been made an universal map of the countries of all the West Indies, together with a special map, taken from two marine charts of the Spaniards, one of which belonged to Don Pietro Martire, Councillor of the Royal Council of the said Indies, and was made by the pilot and master of marine charts, Nino Garzia de Loreno, in Seville.  The other was made also by a pilot of the majesty, the emperor, in Seville.  With which maps the reader can inform himself of the whole of this new world, place by place, the same as if he had been there himself.” [Footnote:  This volume has no general title, but contains three books, primo, secondo & ultimo della historia de l’India Occidentali.  It is very rarely found with the large map of America.  We are indebted to the kindness of James Lonox, Esq. of New York, for the use of a perfect copy in this respect.] The special map here

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The Voyage of Verrazzano from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.