Giovanni da Verrazzano was an explorer of Italian descent who charted the Atlantic coast of North America between Newfoundland and the Carolinas, including the New York Harbor in 1524. The Verrazano–Narrows Bridge that you can find in New York was named after him. Let us know more about this great adventurer’s life by looking into his greatest achievements.
He Became An Adventurer And Explorer At An Early Age.
Da Verrazzano, who was born near Val di Greve, Italy around 1485, was introduced to exploration and adventure at an early age. His first voyage was to Syria and Egypt, which are places that were considered nearly impossible to reach during this time, as they were mysterious. At one point between 1507 and 1508, da Verrazzano traveled to France, where he met with King Francis I. Aside from this, he also came in contact with French Navy officers and started to build rapport with the commanders and sailors and getting a feel for the navy’s missions.
He Started His Career As a Navigator In a Place Where Other Famed Explorers Came From.
In 1506, da Verrazzano settled in the port of Dieppe, France, where some of the best map-makers of the Renaissance period were based, and started his navigation career. Historically, Dieppe was the home to other famed explorers, such as Jean Ribault, Samuel de Champlain and Jacques Cartier.
He Discovered The New York Harbor.
Da Verrazzano began pursuing a career in maritime around 1506 or 1507, and in the 1520s, he was sent by King Francis I to explore North America’s East Coast for a route to the Pacific. He landed near what would be Cape Fear in North Carolina in early March of that year and headed north to extend his expedition. Eventually, he discovered the New York Harbor, which now has a bridge that was named after him.
He Contributed Greatly To The Mapmaking Of The North American East Coast Geography.
Leading the first French expedition to North America, da Verrazzano explored the coast between Newfoundland and the Carolinas, which include the New York Harbor and Narragansett Bay. Because of this, he added greatly to the knowledge base of map-makers in terms of the North American East Coast geography. As implied above, da Verrazzano’s accomplishments were honored in the 1964 dedication of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to the Staten Island in the New York Harbor.
In March of 1528, da Verrazzano left France on his final voyage, again seeking passage to India after not having to find it the year before on a South American voyage. The expedition included his brother, Girolamo, and together they sailed along the Florida coast before drifting into the Caribbean, which turned out to be the last mistake he would ever make. While they sailed south of Jamaica, they spotted a heavily vegetated island that seemed to be uninhabited, and they dropped anchor to explore it. However, they were soon attacked by a large assemblage of cannibalistic natives who killed and ate them all, except for Girolamo and the others, who remained on the ship and watched the incident unable to help.