Why is giovanni da verrazano famous

It was reported that he was then killed and eaten by them. Other historians speculate that he and his crew were captured by Spaniards and executed as pirates. Today, name and life of Giovanni da Verrazzano is remembered by several monuments located in North America, most notably by bridges name after him in Jamestown and Maryland.

Home European Explorers Giovanni da Verrazzano. Giovanni da Verrazzano - Italian explorer in North America Giovanni da Verrazzano was an Italian explorer who explored much of the west coast of North America while working for French crown. In , Verrazzano set sail on what would be his final voyage. The purpose of the trip was to trade for spices in the West Indies, reaching Florida, the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles. On one of these islands, likely near Guadalope, Verrazzano went ashore and was killed by Caribs, the Indigenous people there.

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Accessed 11 November He made landfall near what would be Cape Fear, North Carolina, in early March and headed north to explore. Verrazzano eventually discovered New York Harbor, which now has a bridge spanning it named for the explorer. After returning to Europe, Verrazzano made two more voyages to the Americas. On the second, in , he was killed and eaten by the natives of one of the Lower Antilles, probably on Guadeloupe. Giovanni da Verrazzano was born around near Val di Greve, Italy.

Verrazzano was introduced to adventure and exploration at an early age. He first headed to Egypt and Syria, places that were considered mysterious and nearly impossible to reach at the time. During this period, Christopher Columbus , Amerigo Vespucci and Ferdinand Magellan were making names for themselves with their explorations on behalf of Spain and Portugal, and Francis I grew concerned as France fell behind in the exploration of the West.

Reports were coming back of riches in the New World, and paired with the idea of expanding his empire overseas, Francis I began planning an expedition on behalf of his country. Verrazzano and Francis I met between and , and Verrazzano convinced the king that he would be the right man to undertake exploratory voyages to the West on behalf of France; Francis I signed on. Verrazzano prepared four ships, loaded with ammunition, cannons, lifeboats, and scientific equipment, with provisions to last eight months.

The Santa Maria and Vittoria were lost in a storm at sea, while the Delfina and the Normanda found their way into battle with Spanish ships. In the end, only the Delfina was seaworthy, and it headed to the New World during the night of January 17,