Primer viaje en torno del globo

What it is

This is a Spanish translation of a chronicle written by Antonio Pigafetta, who sailed with Ferdinand Magellan's expedition. The audio heard here is a volunteer reading made recently for LibriVox, not a recording of Pigafetta's own voice or the original text itself.

Why it matters

Pigafetta's chronicle is one of the most important firsthand accounts of Magellan's voyage, the expedition that became the first to sail around the globe. It provided Europe with direct evidence supporting the idea that the Earth is round, and it remains a key source for understanding what happened during the journey and what Magellan and his crew experienced.

Look closer

• Why is a written account from someone who was actually on the voyage so valuable to historians?
• How might a translation and a modern reading change how the original text feels to listen to?
• What biases might Pigafetta have had as a writer describing his own expedition?