The First Trip Around the World
Versions of the map
“I was the first to sail around the world. Magellan, I directed you towards the new strait. And by going around the world I gained the name of VICTORIA. My sails are wings; my prize, glory; my fight, the sea.”
Abraham Ortelius, in the Maris Pacifici map, year of 1589.
Google Maps version
Direct access
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Mercator’s projection (world map)
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Simple interaction
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Non editable
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Allows its insertion in social media, webpages, etc.
Google Earth version
Download
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It requires to downloading a .kml file to execute on Google Earth
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Visualization on the terrestrial globe from any chosen perspective
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Editable
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Same map as previous, including the names and places where the deaths of each of the crew members took place.
HD video version
Watch in YouTube
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Short journey through the route in one minute, with HD video quality.
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Ideal for short presentations.
The map includes indicators of the expedition’s daily position. Clicking on each of the indicators will open an emerging tab with the original text of the Derrotero, of Francisco Albo, from the chosen day. In some cases, it will be complemented for more information with the Relación of Antonio Pigafetta.
Google Earth’s downloadable version can be edited and adapted to the user’s will, as it allows hiding elements, editing position indicators, etc. Google Maps’ version does not permit changes.
Example of the Google Earth desktop version on the terrestrial globe and with free choice on the perspective. The feature that allows to read in each point the text from the Derrotero is maintained, as well as the added information. It is nice to observe how the Benguela Current rapidly took them to the Equator (they reached and average of 10,60 knots a day in their longest distance traversed). But when the number of deaths from illnesses became unsustainable, they shifted to the coast of Guinea, finding nothing else but mangroves and impossible sandbanks, what led them to decide, to go to Cape Verde, under the deception of the Portuguese.
General view of the map in its version of Google Maps, where it can be seen in flat projection. Each point corresponds to a day, and clicking on each one opens the original text of the Derrotero. In addition, information icons are added to follow the thread of the expedition.
Screenshot of the route that traversed the Pacific visualised on a Google Earth map for smartphones. The interaction with the daily position indicators opens new tabs with the text contained in the Derrotero. More information can be found on Flint islet (which they called Shark Island) and the Puka-Puka atoll (San Pablo Island), where they were unable to drop anchor so they had to continue their trip.
Another example of a visualisation with Google Earth, on smartphone version, in perspective, in this case of the discovery of Cape Virgenes, the Strait of Magellan, and finally the South Sea, which they called Pacific. While crossing the Strait, Francisco Albo does not describe the daily position of the ship, but instead writes down useful information for future navigators.
Full map in plain projection with Google Maps.
Simple version map with some basic annotations.
The first map to include the discoveries of the expedition belonged to Diego Ribero, Royal Cosmographer of the House of Trade of the Indies of Seville, from the year 1529. Superposed is Magellan’s route.
Full map in papyrus version
Full map in scholar version.
