The Dark Middle Ages are known not only for the triumph of the Inquisition, but also for the many discoveries made by such brave travelers as Fernand Magellan.
The beginning of the biography
The famous traveler Fernand Magellan was born in Portugal in 1480, the son of an impoverished noble family. In addition to Fernand, the father and mother raised four more babies. Father Rui di Magalhães was a simple soldier, historians do not know anything about the origin of Alda de Mosquita's mother. At the age of twelve, Fernand began to serve as a servant in the royal court of the crowned Leonora of Aviss and King João II the Perfect. The young servant of the courtier was little interested in the court ceremonies inherent in that time, and the boy was carried away by the study of the exact and natural sciences. From an early age, Fernand locked himself in a secluded room, learning the basics of astronomy, navigation and cosmography. The future traveler remains in the page service in the royal house until the age of 24.
Naval service
After leaving the royal court, after the age of 25, Fernand Magellan goes to volunteer service in the navy. The young man made his first sea voyage by going to conquer the east along the sea route to India opened by the Portuguese in 1498. After five years in the navy, Magellan made several unsuccessful attempts to return to his homeland. He remains in India. For his courage and courage in battles, he receives the rank of officer. And only in 1519 the navigator returned to his native Lisbon, Portugal. Where, despite all the awards received in military battles, it remains unnoticed and does not bother to praise and honor from the authorities.
After the suppression of the uprising that took place in Morocco, Magellan is seriously injured. A leg wounded in battle leaves a soldier crippled. Magellan could no longer endure the hardships of naval military service. The gallant officer was forced to resign.
Travel and discoveries
As a soldier, Magellan had free access to classified documents stored on the ship. In his spare time, he studied classified materials. The future navigator comes across a map of German origin with an unknown strait connecting the South Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Inspired by the idea of new discoveries, Fernand Magellan decides to take a trip. Armed with knowledge of nautical affairs and a passionate desire for discovery, Magellan asks for permission from the Portuguese authorities to organize an expedition, but is refused from the government, since the leadership does not find significant benefits in the officer's proposal. Offended by the refusal of King Manuel, Magellan leaves Portugal and goes in search of like-minded people to Spain, where he buys a house and, having settled in, begins to develop a plan for a trip around the world.
Soon Magellan enters into a contract in the department of mariners, that he goes on an expedition to explore the sea. The future route was supposed to lay through the islands rich in spices, which were valued at that time no less than gold and jewelry. The naval odyssey took place on the basis of an agreement signed in 1493 by the Pope, according to which the western territories explored by seafarers became the property of Spain. Magellan in March 1518 was given approval to conduct an expedition, taking into account the contribution to the local treasury of an eighth of the income received.
256 sailors, 5 ships, loaded with provisions for two years at sea, set off on the voyage. Magellan's ship was called Trinidad. The sailors appropriated one twentieth share obtained during the expedition to themselves. Each ship was led by a captain, the crew of sailors consisted of different nationalities, which soon led to minor conflicts in the crew. The sailors, ignorant of the plan of action, disliked the captains, not wanting to follow their orders. The sailors, who received the order from the king, to obey Magellan unquestioningly in everything, concluded a secret agreement to overthrow the captain from the post, if necessary.
The voyage began at the port of San Lucaras, the ships headed for the Canary Islands. Moving along the coast of South America, the sailors made the discovery of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Magellan appropriated the name because of the manifestation of bright lights along the perimeter of the open islands, but later it turned out that the fiery glow in the night was not at all volcanic eruptions, but fires made by tribes that inhabited the lands of the Indians. The ships entered the Pacific Ocean, bypassing the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego.
The result of the trip around the world under the leadership of Magellan was proof of the assumptions of Columbus that the Earth is in the shape of a ball, and not flat as it was believed from antiquity. The journey lasted 1081 days and was completed in 1522, only 18 sailors arrived on land, the rest of the adventurers died from illness and deprivation.
Personal life of the famous traveler
Magellan, who dedicated his life to travel, was married once to Diego Barbosa's daughter, Beatrice. In marriage, a boy was born who dies as a child.
Magellan died in 1521 while traveling around the world, mortally wounded in a battle with the natives of the island of Mactan Lapu-Lupu.
