The question is fundamental for the evaluation of Vespucci’s work and has given rise to fierce controversy attempts to reconcile the two series of documents cannot generally be considered successful.

Until the 1930s the documents of the first series were considered from the point of view of the order of the four voyages.Īccording to a theory of Alberto Magnaghi, on the contrary, these documents are to be regarded as the result of skillful manipulations, and the sole authentic papers would be the private letters, so that the verified voyages would be reduced to two. In the first series of documents, four voyages by Vespucci are mentioned in the second, only two. The second series consists of three private letters addressed to the Medici. The first series consists of a letter in the name of Vespucci dated from Lisbon, Portugal, September 4, 1504, written in Italian, perhaps to the gonfalonier (magistrate of a medieval Italian republic) Piero Soderini, and printed in Florence in 1505 and of two Latin versions of this letter, printed under the titles of “Quattuor Americi navigationes” and “Mundus Novus,” or “Epistola Alberici de Novo Mundo.” Two series of documents on his voyages are extant. The period during which Vespucci made his voyages falls between 14. When Berardi died, either at the end of 1495 or at the beginning of 1496, Vespucci became manager of the Sevilla agency.ĭid you know? Thefirst use of the name 'America' was in 1507, when a new world map was created based on the explorations of Amerigo Vespucci. Later Vespucci was to collaborate, still with Berardi, in the preparation of a ship for Columbus’s second expedition and of others for his third. On returning, Vespucci entered the “bank” of Lorenzo and Giovanni di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici and gained the confidence of his employers.Īt the end of 1491 their agent, Giannotto Berardi, appears to have been engaged partly in fitting out ships and Vespucci was probably present when Christopher Columbus returned from his first expedition, which Berardi had assisted. In 1479 he accompanied another relation, sent by the famous Italian family of Medici to be their spokesman to the king of France.

As a boy Vespucci was given a humanistic education by his uncle Giorgio Antonio. Vespucci was the son of Nastagio, a notary.

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