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Secondary sourceBook1523

De Moluccis Insulis

Maximilianus Transylvanus · 1523

The first published account of Magellan's circumnavigation, written by Maximilianus Transylvanus from interviews with survivors of the voyage.

The earliest published account of Magellan's voyage, compiled from interviews with surviving crew members shortly after his death.

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Front cover of a black leather bound book with gold-tooled decorative border, a small gold central stamp showing a dragon or wolf-like creature above a gold initials monogram reading 'J.C.B.' with a banner above it.
Maximilianus Transylvanus, De Moluccis Insulis, 1523. John Carter Brown Library.

About this source

What it is

This is a printed book from 1523 titled De Moluccis Insulis, written by Maximilianus Transylvanus. The author was related to Christopher de Haro, a sponsor of the expedition, and based his account on conversations with the surviving crew members after they returned to Spain.

Why it matters

This is one of the earliest written sources telling Europe about Magellan's expedition and its completion of the first circumnavigation of the globe. Because it was compiled from survivor testimony soon after the voyage ended, historians consider it an important early record, alongside other accounts like that of Antonio Pigafetta.

Look closer

  • Why might an account based on interviews differ from one written by someone who was actually on the voyage?
  • What does it tell us that Europeans were eager to read about this expedition so soon after it ended?
  • What might survivors have left out or exaggerated when telling their story?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ferdinand Magellan on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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