The narratives of travellers and navigators make us acquainted with the earth, its inhabitants and productions. She was known as the greatest beauty of her time in northern italy and she was the muse and the model during the renaissance. Amerigo vespucci, scientist and sailor by ronald syme, 1969, w. Amerigo vespucci was an italian explorer and navigator after whom the americas were named. The portrait of simonetta vespucci is a painting by the italian renaissance painter piero di cosimo, c. See your encyclopaedia britannica for more on vespucci.
By the time of her death at 22 she was a revered beauty who was adored in renaissance florence. Simonetta vespucci tutorial beauty beacons youtube. This was about 40% of all the recorded vespuccis in the usa. The six letters of vespucci, published in letters from a new world, convinced europe of the momentous truth that earlier had eluded columbus columbus had not reached asia, but a new world, a new continent between europe and asia that would bear. Simonetta married a lesser known member of the respected vespucci family and came to florence from genoa at the age of sixteen. New jersey had the highest population of vespucci families in 1920. Simonetta is partly nude, and her rhythmic profile is accentuated by the black cloud placed behind it. The first four voyages of amerigo vespucci reprinted in. Amerigo vespucci was an italianborn merchant and explorer who took part in early voyages to the new world on behalf of spain around the. What caused renaissance geographers in 1507 to name the newly discovered continent america, in honor of amerigo vespucci, instead of, say, columbia. Grade 48 this brief book attempts to sort fact from speculation and to explain the origin of the controversy in which some argued that vespucci never traveled.
Being portrayed by many famous painters such as botticelli, piero di cosimo and other florentine artists. Art in tuscany simonetta vespucci podere santa pia. In 1920 there were 2 vespucci families living in new jersey. The letters of amerigo vespucci and other documents. Amerigo vespucci was born in florence, italy in march of 1451, and grew up in a considerable mansion near. It is more detailed than the section on vespucci in lomasks great lives. Simonetta vespucci was a genoese noblewoman who married marco vespucci of florence at the age of either 15 or 16, and who was renowned for being the greatest beauty of her age certainly of the city of florence. As a young man, he was fascinated with books and maps. His clothes, books and navigational equipment were left to his nephew giovanni vespucci. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Vespucci was the one person for whom north and south america was named after. I am not really interested in historical novels or things like that, but rather on deeper studies on the beauty and the representation of love by botticelli.
My book considers her life as well as that of botticelli, and his medici patrons. He entered the commercial service of the medici and in 1492 moved to seville. You can see how vespucci families moved over time by selecting different census years. He was educated by his uncle, fra giorgio antionia vespucci, who was a friar belonging to the dominical order in san marco, florence. Who was amerigo vespucci and why was the western hemisphere named for. Amerigo vespucci march 9, 1454 february 22, 1512 was an italian merchant, explorer, and navigator from the republic of florence between 1497 and 1504, vespucci participated in at least two voyages exploring the coast of the new world, first on behalf of spain 14991500 and then for. Painters and princes praised her, so that she became such as an early modern times model. Amerigo vespucci was the third son of ser anastasio, a florentine notary. Amerigo vespucci march 9, 1454 february 22, 1512 was an italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartographer who first demonstrated that brazil and the west indies did not represent asias eastern outskirts as initially conjectured from columbus voyages, but instead constituted an entirely separate landmass hitherto unknown to afroeurasians. Biography of adventurer elena america vespucci part 1. Ober and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The fascination of this book is that the author is able to create a continuous connection between fantasy and reality, history and dream, present and past, developing a winning love story in a terrific setting. Exploration macmillan, 1988, which takes the view that vespucci made four voyages rather. I had posted an intinerary awhile back and received lots of great advise but one thing noted on there from 2roads regarding simonetta vespucci intrigued me so much that i made a note to get back to it, well i finally did and what a.
Amerigo vespucci for kids the amazing explorer who discovered. Amerigo vespucci is the author of the first four voyages of amerigo vespucci 3. It is unsure how many ships were in the fleet, but it is believed to be between 2 to 4. Among the most prominent detractors of the botticellivespucci theory is modern historian felipe fernandezarnesto, who submits that due to a lack of a definitive document, ascribing that botticellis work was inspired by simonetta vespucci is a vulgar assumption. Banking was considered the lowest profession because of the unseemly practice of money lending at interest or usury. Some art historians have taken issue with these attributions, which the victorian critic john ruskin has been blamed for promulgating. The genoan beauty who came to florence as a teenager was the subject of many of botticellis paintings, including his masterpiece, the birth of venus. German cartographer martin waldseemuler, one of the books. Biography of adventurer elena america vespucci part 1 about the italian adventurer elena america vespucci, american history and biography of the woman. Amerigo vespucci, merchant and explorernavigator who took part in early voyages to the new world. America was named after amerigo vespucci, an explorer who first recognized that the lands in. Amerigo, son of ser nastagio, son of ser amerigo vespucci, on the ix day of march mccccli. This is a striking portrait of amerigo vespucci, from john ogilbys america, one of the seminal english language works on the new world from the 17th century. This episode is all about italian renaissance beauty simonetta vespucci, who stole many an influential mans heart before her untimely death.
Amerigo vespucci was an italianborn merchant and explorer who took part in early voyages to the new world on behalf of spain around the late 15th century. Amerigo vespucci was a moneychanger from the florentine banking house of medici. Amerigo vespucci amerigo vespucci biography poem hunter. Vespucci had a wonderful life and found many things on his voyages. Page 1 society, which is established for the purpose of printing rare or unpublished voyages and travels, aims at opening by this means an easier access to the sources of a branch of knowledge, which yields to none in importance, and is superior to most in agreeable variety. Fernandezarmestos previous books about world history and. The letters of amerigo vespucci by amerigo vespucci, alex. A decided sensation was created at washington, during the van buren administration, by the appearance there of a handsome and welleducated italian lady, who called herself america vespucci, and. Piero was frequently patronized by the most powerful families, for whom he executed not only permanent painted works, but also temporary designs for spectacular festivals. Sandro botticelli and simonetta vespucci depend upon one another for their fame in many respects. America was named after amerigo vespucci, a florentine navigator and.
She was known as the greatest beauty of her age in italy, and was allegedly the model for many paintings by sandro botticelli, piero di cosimo, and other florentine painters. The vespucci family name was found in the usa in 1920. Simonetta vespucci and sandro botticelli depend upon one another for their fame in many respects. Sandro botticelli and simonetta vespucci in renaissance. Innumerevoli sono i casi di copia e rivisitazione della bellissima fanciulla bionda che ha dato volto alle figure del celeberrimo. The idea that the subject is simonetta depends on the inscription at the base of the picture. Like other portraits in the atlas, vespucci is depicted surrounded by the tools of the explorer. This volume aims to advance the analysis about amerigo vespucci by considering and connecting several fields of study such as literary history, philology, the history of science and cartography, economic history, and the history of ideas. The multifaceted research frames guide the reader through the complex vicissitudes of amerigo vespuccis life. Simonetta might have been a footnote in the history of the medici family had it not been for botticellis the birth of venus and other paintings.
Portrait of simonetta vespucci is an oil on canvas 57x42 cm painting by the italian renaissance painter piero di cosimo, dating from about 1480 or 1490. The tournament not only introduced simonetta to all of florence, but more importantly, to. America for amerigo vespucci, as well as an account of vespuccis voyages. Sandro botticelli, idealized portrait of a lady portrait of simonetta vespucci as nymph, 1480, stadel museum simonetta at age fifteen married marco vespucci. The degree to which we can ascribe the likeness to an infatuation held by botticelli is subject to speculation. The date of vespuccis birth, formerly much discussed, is now definitively established by the books of the ufficio delle tratte, preserved in the reale archivio di stato of florence, where the following passage is found. The fundamental work here is piero di cosimos portrait, at the head of the post, sensibly titled by the conde museum where it now resides a woman said to be simonetta vespucci. Explorer amerigo vespucci was born in 1451 in italy. Amerigo vespucci biography childhood, life achievements. Amerigo vespucci author of the first four voyages of. She was admired by all of florence for her beauty, which later became a legend after her premature death in 1476 at the age of 23. Amerigo, son of ser nastagio, son of ser amerigo vespucci, on the ix day of march mccccli 1452, common style.
Amerigo vespucci march 9, 1454 to february 22, 1512 was born and grew up in florence, italy. Search the history of over 431 billion web pages on the internet. Leaving from cadiz, spain, the team sailed along the western coast of africa, then across the atlantic ocean for about twenty. Vespuccis historical importance may rest more with his letters whether or not he wrote them all than his discoveries. Amerigo vespucci for kids the amazing explorer who discovered the truth about the new world history books for kids kindle edition by fraser, ian d. Books by amerigo vespucci author of the first four. American history library of congress rare books and special. Compared to allegoric character of flora by botticelli, she died at 22, remembered as eternal youth by the painter. Library of congress rare books and special collections.
List of books and articles about amerigo vespucci online. Amerigo vespucci has 22 books on goodreads with 165 ratings. Amerigo vespucci march 9, 1454 february 22, 1512 was an italian merchant, explorer, and. Medieval, trackback our latest in the love goddess series for a full list see below is simonetta vespucci obit 1476, a woman that had the reputation for being the most outstanding beauty of florence at the apogee of that citys golden age. Simonetta vespucci an amazing story florence forum. The mistery of simonetta is a fascinating story, one of the most beautiful books on the renaissance i ever read, even though it is not a biography but a novel with some fictional elements about the character of simonetta vespucci. Amerigo vespuccis most popular book is the first four voyages of amerigo vespucci 1885.
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