Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci (1454 – 1512) was an Italian explorer, navigator and cartographer who led several voyages to the "New World" during the Age of Discovery. He was also the cousin of Cristina Vespucci.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Amerigo was born in Florence and initially worked as a clerk for the House of Medici, establishing relations with various merchants. He also took an interest in Christopher Columbus' expedition, which had the goal of finding Asia by sailing west.[1] During a dinner party, Amerigo's cousin Cristina convinced the Florentine ruler Lorenzo de' Medici to hire him as a sailor and navigator.[2][3]
On 14 May 1501, Amerigo's third voyage across the Atlantic Ocean began, eventually reaching Rio de Janeiro and Río de la Plata. He returned to Lisbon in 1504, having discovered what is known today as South America and pointing out that the newly discovered territories were not part of Asia as initially believed.[1]
In 1506, Amerigo, Piero Soderini, and Niccolò Machiavelli interrogated and tortured Micheletto Corella at the Palazzo della Signoria to ascertain the whereabouts of his master, Cesare Borgia.[4] The following year, the German cartographer and clergyman Martin Waldseemüller proposed that part of the Brazilian territory found by Amerigo be named "America", in honor of its discoverer.[1]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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A portrait of Amerigo Vespucci
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed II (first mentioned) (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Recollection
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned in Database entry only)