For this reason, America became the name of the new continent

Amerigo Vespucci The Italian navigator and explorer died 512 years ago, on February 22, 1512. The continents of America are named after him, but he may not have known it, writes A. past verb.

Vespucci was born in 1451 or 1454, and collected books and maps from a young age. When you were in Spain, you might have seen him Christopher Columbus He returned from his first voyage, and later met the explorer in person.

Subsequently, Vespucci himself visited America several times between 1497 and 1504: according to him, he made four voyages to the New World, two of which can be proven, of course he knew then that he was in Asia. Columbus died believing this, but Vespucci realized during his life that he had visited another continent.

The European public also learned from him about the existence of the new continent, which is why its discovery was linked to his name. In his letters, the Italian described in detail the climate and wildlife of the new countries, the life and appearance of the Indians, and even their marital and sexual customs, and childbirth practices.

Track this Martin Waldseemüller A German humanist published a world map in 1507, which actually depicted the New World separately, and printed the term America in its southern part. The name is inspired by Vespucci's Latin first name, in the feminine form, as the names of other continents known at the time (Europe, Asia, Africa) were also feminine. Waldseemüller later changed his mind, but by then it was too late: his first name had spread across the map, which was printed in thousands of copies.