Antonio Pigafetta

A B R I E F S U M M A RY O F T H E F I R S T V O YA G E
AROUND THE WORLD BY MAGELLAN

Learning Objectives:
To familiarize oneself with the primary documents in different
historical periods of the Philippines.
To learn history through primary sources.
To properly interpret primary sources through examining the
content and context of the document.
To understand the context behind each selected document.
 Who is Antonio Pigafetta?
• Famous Italian traveller born in Vicenza around 1490 and
died in the same city in 1534, who is also known by the
name of Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta.
• The account of Pigafetta is the single most important
source about the voyage of circumnavigation, despite its
tendency to include fabulous details.
• Pigafetta’s work instantly became a classic that prominent
literary men in the West like WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE,
MICHEL de MONTAIGNE, and GIAMBATTISTA VICO
referred to the book in their interpretation of the New World.
• Pigafetta’s travelogue is one of the most important primary
sources in the study of the precolonial Philippines.
I N P I G A F E T TA’ S A C C O U N T, T H E I R F L E E T R E A C H E D W H AT H E C A L L E D T H E
LADRONES ISLANDS OR THE “ISLANDS OF THE THIEVES.”

H E R E C O U N T E D : “ T H E S E P E O P L E H AV E N O A R M S , B U T U S E S T I C K S , W H I C H H AV E
A F I S H B O N E AT T H E E N D . T H E Y A R E P O O R , B U T I N G E N I O U S , A N D G R E AT
T H I E V E S , A N D F O R T H E S A K E O F T H AT W E C A L L T H E S E T H R E E I S L A N D S T H E
LADRONES ISLANDS.”

T H E L A D R O N E S I S L A N D S I S P R E S E N T LY K N O W N A S T H E M A R I A N A S I S L A N D S .

Ladrones Island
T E N D AY S A F T E R T H E Y H AV E R E A C H E D L A D R O N E S I S L A N D S , P I G A F E T TA R E P O R T E D T H AT
T H E Y H AV E W H AT H E C A L L E D T H E I S L E O F Z A M A L , N O W S A M A R B U T M A G E L L A N D E C I D E D
T O L A N D I N A N O T H E R U N I N H A B I T E D I S L A N D F O R G R E AT E R S E C U R I T Y W H E R E T H E Y
C O U L D R E S T F O R A F E W D AY S .

ON MARCH 18, NINE MEN CAME TO THEM AND SHOWED JOY AND EAGERNESS IN SEEING
T H E M . M A G E L L A N R E A L I Z E D T H AT T H E M E N W E R E R E A S O N A B L E A N D W E L C O M E D T H E M
WITH FOOD, DRINKS AND GIFTS.

I N R E T U R N , T H E Y W E R E G I V E N F I S H , PA L M W I N E ( U R A C A ) , F I G S , A N D 2 C O C H O S .

P I G A F E T TA D E TA I L E D H I S A M A Z E M E N T A N D F A S C I N AT I O N O F T H E PA L M T R E E T H AT B O R E
FRUITS CALLED COCHO, AND WINE.

H E C H A R A C T E R I Z E D T H E P E O P L E A S “ V E R Y F A M I L I A R A N D F R I E N D LY ” A N D W I L L I N G LY
SHOWED THEM DIFFERENT ISLANDS AND THE NAMES OF THESE ISLANDS.

Zamal / Samar
THE FLEET WENT TO HUMUNU ISLAND (HOMONHON) AND THERE THEY
F O U N D W H AT H E R E F E R R E D T O A S T H E “ WAT E R I N G P L A C E O F G O O D
S I G N S . ” F O R I T I S I N T H I S P L A C E T H AT T H E Y F O U N D T H E F I R S T S I G N S O F
GOLD IN THE ISLAND. THEY NAMED THE ISLAND TOGETHER WITH A
N E A R B Y I S L A N D A S T H E A R C H I P E L A G O O F S T. L A Z A R U S .

LEFT THE ISLAND ON MARCH 25TH.

Humunu Island
O N M A R C H 2 5 T H , P I G A F E T TA R E C O U N T E D T H AT T H E Y S A W T W O B A L A N G H A I
( B A L A N G AY ) , A L O N G B O AT F U L L O F P E O P L E I N M A Z Z AVA / M A Z A U A .

THE LEADER OF THE BALLANGHAI SEND HIS MEN TO THE SHIP OF MAGELLAN.
T H E E U R O P E A N S E N T E R TA I N E D T H E S E M E N A N D G AV E T H E M G I F T S .

THE KING OFFERED MAGELLAN ABAR OF GOLD AND CHEST OF GINGER, BUT
M A G E L L A N D E C L I N E D . H E A S K E D H I S I N T E R P R E T E R T O T E L L T H E K I N G T H AT
W H AT T H E Y N E E D I S M O N E Y F O R T H E S H I P A N D E X P R E S S E D T H AT H E C A M E
AS A FRIEND.

T H E K I N G R E S P O N D E D A N D G AV E M A G E L L A N F O O D I N C H I N A W A R E . I N T U R N ,
M A G E L L A N G AV E T H E M R O B E S , R E D C A P K N I V E S A N D M I R R O R S .

MAGELLAN BOASTED ABOUT HIS MEN'S ARMOR WHO COULD NOT BE STRUCK
W I T H S W O R D S A N D D A G G E R S . T H E K I N G W A S FA S C I N AT E D A N D R E M A R K E D
T H AT M E N I N S U C H A R M O R I S W O R T H 1 0 0 O F H I S M E N

Mazzava / Mazaua
A F T E R A F E W D AY S , M A G E L L A N W A S I N T R O D U C E D T O T H E K I N G S B R O T H E R W H O I S
ALSO A KING OF ANOTHER ISLAND.

T H E Y W E N T T O T H I S I S L A N D A N D P I G A F E T TA R E P O R T E D T H AT T H E Y S A W M I N E S O F
G O L D . T H E PA R T S O F T H E K I N G ' S S H I P A N D H I S H O U S E W E R E M A D E O F G O L D .
P I G A F E T TA A L S O D E S C R I B E D T H I S K I N G A S T H E M O S T H A N D S O M E O F A L L T H E M E N
T H AT H E S A W I N T H AT P L A C E . T H I S K I N G ' S N A M E I S R A I A C A L A M B U , K I N G O F
ZULUA N A ND CAL AG AN (BUTUAN A ND CARA GUA ), A ND THE FIRS T K ING WA S RAIA
SIAGU.

O N M A R C H 3 1 , E A S T E R S U N D AY , M A G E L L A N O R D E R E D T H E C H A P L A I N T O P R E S I D E A
MASS BY THE SHORE. THE KING HEAR OF THIS PLAN AND SENT 2 DEAD PIGS AND
AT T E N D E D T H E M A S S W I T H T H E O T H E R K I N G . P I G A F E T TA R E P O R T E D T H AT B O T H
K I N G S PA R T I C I PAT E D I N T H E M A S S .

A F T E R T H E M A S S , M A G E L L A N O R D E R E D T H AT T H E C R O S S B E B R O U G H T W I T H N A I L S
AND CROWN IN PLACE.

? island
M A G E L L A N E X P L A I N E D T H AT T H E C R O S S , T H E N A I L A N D T H E C R O W N
W E R E T H E S I G N S O F H I S E M P E R O R A N D H E WA S O R D E R E D T O P L A N T
I T I N T H E P L A C E S T H AT H E W O U L D R E A C H .

H E A L S O E X P L A I N E D T H AT T H E C R O S S W O U L D B E B E N E F I C I A L F O R
T H E P E O P L E B E C A U S E O N C E T H E S PA N I A R D S S AW T H I S C R O S S , T H E Y
W O U L D K N O W T H AT T H E Y H A D B E E N I N T H I S L A N D A N D W O U L D N O T
CAUSE THEM TROUBLES, AND ANY PERSON WHO MIGHT BE HELD
CAPTIVES BY THEM WOULD BE RELEASED.

THE KING ALLOWED THE CROSS TO BE PLANTED. THIS MASS WOULD

GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND
T H E C R O S S W O U L D B E T H E FA M E D M A G E L L A N ' S C R O S S S T I L L
P R E S E N T T O D AY.

? island
 A F T E R 7 D AY S , M A G E L L A N A N D H I S M E N D E C I D E D T O M O V E A N D L O O K
FOR ISLANDS WHERE THEY COULD ACQUIRE MORE SUPPLIES AND
PROVISIONS. THEY LEARNED ABOUT THE ISLANDS OF CEYLON, BOHOL
AND ZZUBU. RAIA CALAMBU PILOT THEM IN GOING TO CEBU, THE
LARGEST AND THE RICHES OF THE ISLANDS.

APRIL 7TH OF THE SAME YEAR, MAGELLAN AND HIS MEN REACHED THE
PORT OF CEBU. THE KING OF CEBU, THROUGH MAGELLAN'S
I N T E R P R E T E R , D E M A N D E D T H AT T H E Y PAY T R I B U T E A S I T WA S
C U S T O M A R Y, B U T M A G E L L A N R E F U S E . T H E I N T E R P R E T E R T O L D T H E
K I N G T H AT M A G E L L A N ' S K I N G WA S T H E E M P E R O R O F A G R E AT E M P I R E
AND IT WOULD BE BETTER TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THEM.

T H E K I N G C O N S U LT E D H I S C O U N C I L .

Zzubu (Cebu)
T H E N E X T D AY, M A G E L L A N ' S M E N A N D T H E K I N G O F C E B U W I T H H I S
P R I N C I PA L M E N , M E T I N A N O P E N S PA C E . T H E R E , T H E K I N G O F F E R E D A
B I T O F B L O O D A N D D E M A N D E D T H AT M A G E L L A N D O T H E S A M E .

T H E F O L L O W I N G D AY, M A G E L L A N S P O K E B E F O R E T H E P E O P L E O F C E B U
ABOUT PEACE AND GOD.

O N T H E 1 4 T H O F A P R I L , T H E P E O P L E G AT H E R E D W I T H T H E K I N G A N D
O T H E R P R I N C I PA L M E N O F T H E I S L A N D . M A G E L L A N S P O K E T O T H E K I N G
AND ENCOURAGED HIM TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN BY BURNING ALL OF
THE IDOLS AND WORSHIP THE CROSS INSTEAD.

T H E K I N G O F C E B U WA S T H E N B A P T I Z E D A S A C H R I S T I A N .

Zzubu (Cebu)
A F T E R 8 D AY S , P I G A F E T TA R E C O U N T E D T H AT A L L O F T H E I S L A N D ' S
I N H A B I TA N T S W E R E A L R E A D Y B A P T I Z E D . H E A D M I T T E D T H AT T H E Y B U R N E D A
VILLAGE DOWN FOR OBEYING NEITHER THE KING OR MAGELLAN.

T H E M A S S W A S C O N D U C T E D B Y T H E S H O R E E V E R Y D AY.

W H E N T H E Q U E E N C A M E T O M A S S O N E D AY, M A G E L L A N G AV E H E R A N I M A G E O F
T H E I N FA N T J E S U S M A D E B Y P I G A F E T TA H I M S E L F.

W H E N M A G E L L A N R E I T E R AT E D T H AT A L L O F T H E N E W LY B A P T I Z E D C H R I S T I A N S
N E E D T O B U R N T H E I R I D O L S , T H E N AT I V E S G AV E E X C U S E S T E L L I N G M A G E L L A N
T H AT T H E Y N E E D E D T H E I D O L S T O H E A L A S I C K M A N W H O W A S A R E L AT I V E T O
THE KING.

M A G E L L A N I N S I S T E D T H AT T H E Y N E E D T O P U T T H E I R FA I T H I N J E S U S C H R I S T,
WENT TO THE SICK MAN AND BAPTIZED HIM. AFTER THE BAPTISMAL,
P I G A F E T TA R E C O R D E D T H AT T H E M A N W A S A B L E T O S P E A K A G A I N . H E C A L L E D
THIS A MIRACLE.

Zzubu (Cebu)
O N A P R I L 2 6 , Z U L A , A P R I N C I PA L M A N F R O M T H E I S L A N D O F M ATA N
( M A C TA N ) W E N T T O S E E M A G E L L A N A N D A S K E D H I M F O R A B O AT F U L L
OF MEN TO FIGHT THE CHIEF NAMED SILAPULAPU (LAPULAPU), WHO
R E F U S E T O O B E Y T H E K I N G A N D WA S A L S O P R E V E N T I N G H I M F R O M
DOING SO.

M A G E L L A N O F F E R E D 3 B O AT S I N S T E A D A N D E X P R E S S E D H I S D E S I R E
T O G O T O M A C TA N H I M S E L F T O F I G H T T H E S A I D C H I E F.

Zzubu
M A G E L L A N ' S F O R C E S A R R I V E D I N M A C TA N I N D AY L I G H T. T H E Y
N U M B E R E D 4 9 I N T O TA L A N D T H E I S L A N D E R S O F M A C TA N W E R E
E S T I M AT E D T O N U M B E R 1 , 5 0 0 . T H E B AT T L E B E G A N .

M A G E L L A N D I E D I N T H AT B AT T L E . T H E N AT I V E S , P E R C E I V I N G T H AT T H E
BODIES OF THE ENEMIES WERE PIERCED WITH PROTECTED ARMORES,
A I M E D F O R T H E I R L E G S I N S T E A D . M A G E L L A N WA S P I E R C E D W I T H A
POISONED ARROW IN HIS RIGHT LEG.

A F E W O F T H E I R M E N C H A R G E D AT T H E N AT I V E S A N D T R I E D T O
I N T I M I D AT E T H E M B Y B U R N I N G A N E N T I R E V I L L A G E B U T T H I S O N LY
E N R A G E D T H E N AT I V E S F U T H E R .

M A G E L L A N WA S S P E C I F I C A L LY TA R G E T E D B E C A U S E T H E N AT I V E S K N E W
T H AT H E WA S T H E C A P TA I N G E N E R A L .

Mactan
M A G E L L A N WA S H I T W I T H A L A N C E I N T H E FA C E . M A G E L L A N R E TA L I AT E D
A N D P I E R C E D T H E S A M E N AT I V E W I T H H I S L A N C E I N T H E B R E A S T A N D
T R I E D T O D R AW H I S S W O R D B U T C O U L D N O T L I F T I T B E C A U S E O F H I S
WOUNDED ARM.

S E E I N G T H AT T H E C A P TA I N H A S A L R E A D Y D E T E R I O R AT E D , M O R E
N AT I V E S C A M E T O AT TA C K H I M .

O N E N AT I V E W I T H A G R E AT S W O R D D E L I V E R E D A B L O W I N M A G E L L A N ' S
L E F T L E G , B R O U G H T H I M F S S C E D O W N A N D T H E N AT I V E S C E A S E L E S S LY
AT TA C K E D M A G E L L A N W I T H L A N C E S , S W O R D S , A N D E V E N W I T H T H E I R
BARE HANDS.

Mactan
P I G A F E T TA A L S O S A I D T H AT T H E K I N G O F C E B U C O U L D H AV E S E N T H E L P
B U T M A G E L L A N I N S T R U C T E D T H E M N O T T O J O I N T H E B AT T L E S A N D S TAY
I N T H E B A L A N G AY S O T H E Y W O U L D S E E H O W T H E Y F O U G H T.

T H E K I N G O F F E R E D T H E P E O P L E O F M A C TA N G I F T S O F A N Y VA L U E A N D
AMOUNT IN EXCHANGE OF MAGELLAN'S BODY BUT THE CHIEF REFUSED.
T H E Y WA N T E D T O K E E P M A G E L L A N ' S B O D Y A S A M E M E N T O O F T H E I R
V I C T O R Y.

M A G E L L A N ' S M E N E L E C T E D D U A R T E B A R B O S A A S T H E N E W C A P TA I N .
P I G A F E T TA A L S O T O L D H O W M A G E L L A N ' S S L AV E A N D I N T E R P R E T E D
H E N R Y B E T R AY E D T H E M A N D T O L D T H E K I N G O F C E B U T H AT T H E Y
I N T E N D E D T O L E AV E A S Q U I C K LY A S P O S S I B L E .

P I G A F E T TA A L L E G E D T H AT T H E S L AV E T O L D T H E K I N G T H AT I F H E
F O L L O W T H E S L AV E ' S A D V I S E , H E C O U L D A C Q U I R E T H E S H I P S A N D T H E
G O O D S O F M A G E L L A N ' S F L E E T.

Mactan
T H E T W O C O N S P I R E D A N D B E T R AY E D W H AT WA S L E F T O F M A G E L L A N ' S
MEN.

T H E K I N G I N V I T E D T H E S E M E N T O A G AT H E R I N G W H E R E H E S A I D H E
W O U L D P R E S E N T T H E J E W E L S T H AT H E W O U L D S E N D F O R T H E K I N G
O F S PA I N . P I G A F E T TA W A S N O T A B L E T O J O I N T H E 2 4 M E N W H O
AT T E N D E D B E C A U S E H E WA S N U R S I N G H I S B AT T L E W O U N D S .

I T W A S O N LY S H O R T T I M E W H E N T H E Y H E A R D C R I E S A N D
L A M E N TAT I O N S . T H E N AT I V E S H A D S L A I N A L L O F T H E M E N E X C E P T T H E
I N T E R P R E T E R A N D J U A N S E R R A N O W H O WA S A L R E A D Y W O U N D E D .
S E R R A N O WA S P R E S E N T E D A N D S H O U T E D AT T H E M E N I N T H E S H I P
A S K I N G T H E M T O PAY R A N S O M S O H E W O U L D B E S PA R E D . B U T T H E Y
REFUSED AND AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO GO TO THE SHORE.

T H E F L E E T D E PA R T E D A N D A B A N D O N E D S E R R A N O . T H E Y L E F T C E B U
AND CONTINUED THEIR JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD.

Analysis of
Pigafetta's
Chronicle
This chronicle was one of the
most cited documents by
hsitorians who wished to study
the precolonial Philippines.
Pigafetta was seem as a credible source for a period, which was prior
unchronicled and undocumented. Moreover, being the earliest detailed
documentation, it was believed that Pigafetta's writings account for the
“purest” precolonial society.
Nevertheless, there needs to have a more nuanced reading of the source
within a contextual backdorp.
A student of history should recognize certain biases accompanying the
author and his identity, loyalties, and teh circumstances that he was in; and
how it affected the text that he produced.
In the case of PIfagetta, the reader needs to understand that he was a
chronicler commissioned by the King of Spain to accompany and
document a voyage intended to expand the Spanish empire. He was also a
noble descent who came from a rich family in Italy. These attributed
influenced his narrative, his selection of details to be included in the text,
his characterization of the people and of the species that he encountered,
and his interpretation and retelling of the events. Being a scholar of
cartography and georgraphy, Pigafetta was able to give details on
geography and climate of the places that their voyage had reached.

Analysis of
Pigafetta's
Chronicle
This chronicle was one of the
most cited documents by
hsitorians who wished to study
the precolonial Philippines.
In reading Pigafetta's description of the people, remember that he was
from a 16th century European perspective. Hence, the reader might
notice how Pigafetta, whether implicitly or explicitly, regarded indigenous
belief systems and way of life as inferior to that of Christianity and of the
Europeans.
Nakedness
Amazement and Illiteracy to the European artllery, merchandise
Abundance of spices like ginger, and of precious metals like gold
Palm and Bamboo as materials for the native's houses
It should be understood that such observations were rooted from the
context of Pigafetta and of his era. Europe, for example, was the
domination of the Holy Roman Empire, whose loyalty and purpose was
the domination of the Catholic Church all over the world. Hence, other
belief systems different from that of Christiany were perceived to be
blasphemour and barbaric, even demonic. Such system measures the
wealth of kingdoms based on their accumulation of bullions or precious
metals like gold and silver.
 it was not surprising therefore that Pigafetta would always mention
the abundance of gold in the islands as shown in his description of
leaders wearing gold rings, golden daggers, and of the rich gold
mines. An empire like that of the Spain would indeed search for new
lands where they could acquire more gold and welath to be on top of
all the European nations. The obsession with spices might be odd for
Filipinos because of its ordinariness in the Philippines.

But understanding the context would reveal that spices were scarce
in Europe and hence were seen as prestige goods. In that era, Spain
Analysis of and Portugal coveted the control of Spice Islands because it would

Pigafetta's have led to a certain increase in wealth, influence, and power. These
contexts should be used and understood in order to have a more

Chronicle qualified reading of Pigafetta's account.

This chronicle was one of the

most cited documents by
hsitorians who wished to study
the precolonial Philippines.