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Primary sourceDocument22 April 1529

Treaty of Zaragoza

22 April 1529

The 1529 treaty between Spain and Portugal that settled the dispute over the Moluccas, a conflict opened by Magellan's voyage.

Settled the dispute over the Spice Islands that Magellan's voyage had opened, a conflict that outlived him.

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World map in an oval frame showing colonial demarcation lines between Castile/Spain and Portugal. A dotted purple line marks Pope Alexander VI's 1493 bull, a solid purple line marks the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, and a green line marks the 1529 Treaty of Saragossa, which runs through the Pacific near the Moluccan Islands. Labels and a legend appear on the map.
Treaty of Zaragoza, 22 April 1529.

About this source

What it is

The Treaty of Zaragoza was a peace treaty signed on 22 April 1529 by King John III of Portugal and Emperor Charles V, settling the dispute over the Spice Islands (Moluccas) between Castile and Portugal. It is held in Zaragoza.

Why it matters

The dispute arose because expeditions from both kingdoms, including Magellan's fleet, reached the Pacific in 1520 without an agreed line dividing their zones of influence, as set out in the earlier Treaty of Tordesillas. Letters from Magellan's friend Francisco Serrão about the Spice Islands had helped persuade Spain to fund Magellan's voyage in the first place. After Magellan's death, the expedition reached the Moluccas under Juan Sebastián Elcano, intensifying the conflict that this treaty finally resolved, with Spain selling its claim to Portugal.

Look closer

  • Why was it so hard for 16th-century astronomers and mapmakers to agree on where the dividing line should be?
  • How did Magellan's voyage directly cause the dispute this treaty settled?
  • What does the story of the dividing line reveal about how colonial powers treated land they had never seen?

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