Antonio Pigafetta was a Venetian scholar who accompanied Magellan on the expedition where they became the first Europeans to reach the Philippines.

ANTONIO PIGAFETTA

Pigafetta kept an accurate journal which later assisted him in translating one of the Philippine languages, Cebuano. It is the first recorded document concerning this language.

In Seville, Pigafetta join Magellan's planned expedition to discover a route to the Spice Isalands. During the trip, Pigafetta collected extensive data concerning the geography, climate, flora, fauna and the inhabitants of the places that the expedition visited. His meticulous notes were invaluable to future explorers and cartographers.

Pigafetta was wounded on Mactan in the Philippines, where Magellan was killed. Nevertheless, he recovered and out of approximately 240 men who set out with Magellan in 1519, Pigafetta was one of only 18 who returned to Spain in 1522, having completed the first circumnavigation of the World.

His journal is the source for much of what we know about Magellan and Elcano's voyage. Pigafetta used his journal to assist him in translating one of the Philippine languages, Cebuano. It is the first recorded document concerning this language.

1491

to 1534?