Those Enterprising Italians! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Marco Polo

Marco Polo's father, Niccolò, and uncle, Maffeo, wealthy merchants, left on a trading expedition before Marco was born! In fact, at the time of his birth, they had been living in Constantinople and traveling through Asia, already meeting Kublai Khan. Marco was fifteen years old before they returned to Venice; when he was seventeen, the three of them set out on another journey that covered almost 15,000 miles and lasted twenty-four years.

Answer: Columbus

Inspired by the "Book of Marco Polo", Columbus made four voyages of discovery to what was later determined to be the New World under the sponsorship of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. These voyages enabled him to claim quite a bit of land for the Spanish crown. Columbus, however, always seemed to believe that he was in the East Indies, and during his lifetime never received the acclaim that he deserved for his discovery.

Answer: John Cabot

John Cabot made three voyages to the New World while he was in the service of Henry VII. While the first voyage accomplished little, the second voyage was spent mostly surveying the Atlantic coast. Exactly where the ships sailed is still a point of discussion among historians, but most agree that he was the first European since the Vikings almost five hundred years earlier, to explore North America.

The success of Cabot's third voyage is still in question today. Some believe that his ships may have been lost at sea, while others argue that the trip was successful and that the friars who went along on the trip with Cabot stayed behind to found the first Christian settlement in North America.

Answer: Amerigo Vespucci

The origin of the name, "America" has been debated for quite some time; some historians credit the voyages of Americo Vespucci with the naming of the New World. Invited by King Manuel I of Portugal to join an exploration voyage, Vespucci had worked previously to provide ships and provisions for ocean-going voyages. Believed to have made at least two voyages to the New World over his career, Vespucci was named chief navigator of Spain by King Ferdinand in 1508.

In this capacity he was to begin a school of navigation and training.

There is much debate today over how many voyages Vespucci actually made and the authenticity of letters and writings attributed to him, however, he is credited with convincing explorers that they had not found Asia, but a new land.

Answer: Sebastian Cabot

Sebastian continued to sail under the authority of the King Henry VII, looking for a Northwest Passage after his father's death; he was employed as a cartographer by Henry VIII, but moved to Spain, believing there would be more support for a voyage of discovery at the Spanish court.

There he supervised the training of seamen. However, he was eventually promoted to captain, and was given charge of a voyage to determine the exact line drawn in the Treaty of Tordesillas between Spain and Portugal. Interested by stories he had heard about the wealth of the Incas, Cabot established the first European settlement in Uruguay, called Fort San Salvador, as a base for further exploration.

Not a popular captain, his crew pressed charges that led to heavy fines and a sentence of banishment.

Although the fines were paid, it appears that the sentence of banishment was never enforced.

Answer: Mexico

It appears that Careri financed his trips by purchasing goods at one port that could be sold at the next one. He recorded the events of his five year trip in a book called "Giro Del Mondo" in 1699. In it he described a visit to the Great Wall of China. From Macau he sailed to the Philippines, and from Manilla took a voyage to Mexico, which lasted about six months.

There he learned about the Aztecs, and even saw the remains of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. Later historians proved the authenticity of his book, which at times had been discounted. One of his postulates was that the builders of the pyramids in Egypt and Mexico were descendants of people who lived on Atlantis! Some question the motive for this voyage.

While some say it was for pleasure, others say that Careri was employed as a spy for the pope at the time!

Answer: Giovanni da Verrazzano

Francis I, inspired by the return of Magellan's expedition, finally involved France in an attempt to find the elusive passage to the Pacific Ocean. Early in January 1524, Verrazzano's ship sailed into Pamlico Sound in North Carolina; he mistakenly thought he had accomplished his task! What he did do, however, was explore the eastern coast of North America, from roughly Narragansett Bay to Cape Fear, naming the area "Francesca" in honor of the king.

He made two other voyages to America; one to Brazil, and one to Florida and the islands off the coast.

There it is said that he was taken captive by the native Caribs and eaten. Another account, however, claims he was arrested for piracy and executed in Spain.

Answer: Islam

A master of languages, dei Conti first traveled to Damascus, Syria, where learned he Arabic. After that, he traveled as a Muslim merchant. His travels took him to many locations including Baghdad and Iran, where he learned the Persian language - and to India, which he called the "Italy of the East" in reference to the Telugu language, which he thought had some similarities to his native Italian.

He described southeast Asia as "exceeding all other regions in wealth, culture and magnificence, and abreast of Italy in civilization". Upon returning to his native Italy, dei Conti visited the pope, suggesting that he might exchange tales of his travels for penance.

The pope's secretary compiled an account that is considered to be the best describing the East by a fifteenth century traveler.

The Fra Mauro map in the picture is said to have relied heavily on dei Conti's account.

Answer: Ferdinand Magellan

As an assistant to Ferdinand Magellan, Pigafetta collected all sorts of information about the locations that were seen by the famous group of sailors. Containing meticulously collected information, his journals were consulted by explorers for many years to come. Wounded in the fight which cost Magellan his life in the Philippines, Pigafetta returned to Europe, where he became a member of the Knights of Rhodes.

Answer: Cape Verde Islands

Alvise Cadamosto was hired by Prince Henry to make at least two voyages. During the second voyage he and his comrades found and explored the Cape Verde Islands. In addition, it is said that Cadamosto and his men were the first Europeans to sail up the Gambia River.

After his adventures in Africa, he returned to Venice with his papers to write "The Navigazioni", an account of his land discoveries, as well as the cultures and wildlife he encountered.