Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer and cartographer who is best known for his four voyages to the Americas between 1497 and 1504.
Also Read: Amerigo Vespucci Timeline
He is credited with being the first European to recognize that the Americas were not part of Asia but a new continent.
Vespucci was born in Florence, Italy, in 1454. He was educated as a merchant and worked for the Medici family, a powerful banking family in Florence.
In 1497, Vespucci was hired by King Ferdinand II of Spain to join an expedition to the Americas led by Alonso de Ojeda. Vespucci made three more voyages to the Americas, two with the Spanish and one with the Portuguese.
His voyages were those of discovery and not conquests like those of Hernan Cortes and other Spanish Conquistadors.
Also Read: Famous Spanish Explorers
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On his voyages, Vespucci explored the coast of South America and made detailed maps of the region. He also wrote letters to his friends and family in Italy, describing his travels. In these letters, Vespucci argued that the Americas were not part of Asia but a new continent.
Vespucci's letters were published in Germany in 1507. The cartographer Martin Waldseemüller was so impressed by Vespucci's descriptions of the Americas that he named the new continent after him. The name "America" stuck, and it is still used today.
Vespucci died in Seville, Spain, in 1512.
Family Overview
Amerigo Vespucci came from a family that was politically well-connected in Florence, Italy. They were friends with the powerful Medici family, who held much influence throughout Italy and Europe in general.
Amerigo Vespucci was the third son of Nastagio Vespucci, a Florentine notary for the Money-Changers Guild, and Lisa di Giovanni Mini.
The family resided in the District of Santa Lucia d'Ognissanti, along with other families of the Vespucci clan.
Earlier generations of Vespucci had funded a family chapel in the Ognissanti church, and the nearby Hospital of San Giovanni di Dio was founded by Simone di Piero Vespucci in 1380.
Also Read: 10 Facts About Amerigo Vespucci
Vespucci's immediate family was not especially prosperous, but they were politically well-connected. Amerigo's grandfather, also named Amerigo Vespucci, served a total of 36 years as the chancellor of the Florentine government, known as the Signoria, and Nastagio also served in the Signoria and in other guild offices.
He later married in Spain and possibly had one daughter. His wife survived him, and while he lived well, he was not a man of substantial means.
Family Tree Chart
Parents:
Nastagio Vespucci (1427 - 1485) - He was the father of Amerigo. He had three sons and one daughter. He and his wife were married in Italy. While there are probably excellent records kept of the Vespucci family line in Italy, it is hard to get access to them.
Lisabetta di Giovanni Mini (Unknown) - Her vitals are unknown, but she was the daughter of a wealthy family with many political connections in Italy.
Spouse:
Maria Cerezo (Unknown) - Her vitals are unknown. She was from Spain, and while Amerigo is well-known in history, he was not a wealthy man and did not have as many connections in Spain as he did in Italy. She probably came from a modest background. She outlived him since we know she was named in his will after his death. The couple had at least one daughter.
Children:
Albiera Agnoletta Vespucci (1485 - unknown) - She was not named in his will, so possibly she had died or was married.
Siblings:
It is possible that he had up to five siblings, but these are the only two that I have found consistently in many resources.
Antonio Vespucci (before 1451 - unknown) - He was the older brother of Amerigo and attended the University of Pisa. Antonio became a notary, similar to his father.
Girolamo (before 1451 - unknown) - He was also older than Amerigo and attended the University of Pisa. entered the Church and joined the Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes.