Historical Context After
Pigafetta’s Chronicles
Ella. Eve. Shaina
Timeline: After Pigafetta’s Chronicles
📌1525 — Pigafetta completes his chronicle
Antonio Pigafetta finishes writing The First Voyage Around the World (Relazione del primo
viaggio intorno al mondo), based on his detailed journal of the Magellan expedition (1519–1522).
This manuscript includes descriptions of the voyage, encounters with peoples and cultures
(including in the Philippines), and early linguistic and geographic observations.
Significance: Marks the creation of one of the most important contemporary accounts of the first
circumnavigation of the globe.
~1525–1600s — Manuscripts circulate in Europe
📌 Four manuscripts of Pigafetta’s account survive: one Italian and three French versions, which
circulate among European scholars and explorers. �
The Philippine Diary Project
Significance: European scholars and navigators begin to use Pigafetta’s detailed descriptions as a
valuable source of geographic and cultural knowledge.
Late 1700s (~1797) — Rediscovery of a “lost” manuscript
📌 Carlo Amoretti, conservator at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, discovers what is considered
the most complete Italian manuscript of Pigafetta’s relation, thought lost until then. �
Wikipedia
Significance: The rediscovery renews historical interest in Pigafetta’s work and makes a fuller
version accessible to scholars.
1800 — First major printed edition
📌 Amoretti publishes the Primo viaggio intorno al globo terracqueo in Milan — the first printed
complete edition based on the Ambrosiana manuscript. �
Wikipedia
Significance: Transforms Pigafetta’s manuscript from archival rarity into a published, research-
ready book.
1801 — French edition and early translations
📌 Amoretti’s French translation of his 1800 Italian edition appears in Paris, soon followed by
translations into other languages. �
Wikipedia
Significance: Expands European access to Pigafetta’s material, influencing historians and
geographers across Europe.
Mid-1800s to Late-1800s — Wider translations
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📌 English, Spanish, and other language editions begin to circulate, including translations used by
the Hakluyt Society and others. �
[Link]
Significance: Pigafetta’s chronicle becomes a primary source for historians studying the Age of
Discovery and early encounters with Indigenous peoples.
1900s — Scholarly analysis and multiple editions
📌 Throughout the 20th century, historians and scholars produce new translations, critical editions,
and bibliographic studies of Pigafetta’s account. �
[Link]
Significance: Scholarship refines understanding of the chronicle, its language, and its historical
value.
Late 20th – Early 21st Century — Continues in research and education
📌 Pigafetta’s account remains a key primary source in studying precolonial life in the Philippines,
maritime history, linguistics, and cultural encounters during the Age of Discovery. �
Wikipedia
Significance: The chronicle continues to be cited in academic research, history classes, and books
on global exploration.
2019–2022 — Philippines Quincentennial Revisiting
📌 To commemorate 500 years since Magellan’s voyage, the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP) organizes efforts to collect, transcribe, and translate Pigafetta’s manuscripts,
producing detailed reports and publications. �
Rappler +1
Significance: Renewed national interest in Pigafetta’s work deepens Filipino understanding of
early encounters between Europeans and local societies.
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YEAR EVENT SIGNIFICANCE/
VALUES
1525 Pigafetta completes Shows importance of
manuscrip documenting exploration and
knowledge; intercultural
encounters
1525–1600s Manuscript circulates in Spread of knowledge,
Europe inspires European explorers,
curiosity for new lands
1800s Rediscovery by historians Preservation of history,
recognition of value in past
documents
1890s English translation by Lord Knowledge becomes
Stanley of Alderley accessible across cultures;
sharing information globally
20th c. Widely cited in historical Influence on education,
studies Philippine history, and
global understanding
2000s–Present Used in research, education,
media