At the beginning of the 16th century, the Age of Discovery was in full swing. The Portuguese, the Dutch, and the Spanish prowled the vast seas, discovering new lands and creating new trading sea routes. The King of France, Francis I, didn’t want to stay behind and commissioned Giovanni Verrazzano, a Florentine navigator, to discover new lands for the glory of the French crown. His primary mission was to find a “Northwest Passage”—a direct sea route from Europe to Asia through the newly discovered continent of America.
Giovanni da Verrazzano enters New York Harbor
Giovanni da Verrazzano undertook several voyages to the shores of North America. On his third expedition, he explored the Atlantic coast from present-day North Carolina to Newfoundland, becoming the first European to describe the northeastern coast of the continent. During this journey, he sailed into what is now New York Harbor and was the first European to set eyes on the island that would later be known as Manhattan. He claimed the island for France, naming it Nouvelle-Angoulême in honor of King Francis I, who held the title of Count of Angoulême.
Giovanni da Verrazzano last voyage and death
Verrazzano reported his encounters with native peoples, often friendly and marked by mutual curiosity. However, his fortunes changed during his final voyage in 1528 while exploring the Caribbean. After landing on one of the Lesser Antilles islands, he came ashore and, as usual, attempted to engage with the local population. Unfortunately for him, the Caribs were cannibals, who had the Italian explorer for dinner in the literal sense of the word. They killed, cooked, and ate Giovanni Verrazzano while his crew watched helplessly from a ship.
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazzano remained virtually unknown as the discoverer of New York Harbor, overshadowed by Henry Hudson, who arrived in New York Harbor almost a century later, in 1609. The Italian Historical Society of America undertook a major campaign of disseminating historical material on Verrazzano throughout the country in order to bring Giovanni Verrazzano the recognition he deserves. Eventually, after many years of struggle and perseverance, the bridge spanning the New York Harbor narrows was named Verrazzano Narrows, honoring the explorer and linking Giovanni Verrazzano with the harbor he had discovered.
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