Amerigo vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci (pronounced: /æməˈriːɡoʊ vɛˈspuːtʃi/; Italian: [ameˈriːɡo veˈsputtʃi]) was an Italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartographer who played a prominent role in exploring the New World.
Etymology
The name Amerigo is Italian form of the medieval Latin name "Americus", which is derived from the Germanic name "Emmerich". Vespucci is a surname of Italian origin, denoting someone from Vespucci, a locality in Florence.
Biography
Amerigo Vespucci was born on March 9, 1454, in Florence, Italy. He was educated by his uncle, Giorgio Antonio Vespucci, a Dominican friar, and became a merchant and navigator under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici and later, the Medici family.
Vespucci is best known for his voyages to the New World, and the use of his name for the continents of North and South America. His voyages, sponsored by Portugal and Spain, took him to the eastern coast of South America and the northern coast of Brazil.
Legacy
Vespucci's voyages led to the widespread recognition that a new continent, separate from Asia, had been discovered. This new continent was named America, derived from the Latin version of Vespucci's first name.
Related Terms
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.