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The Expedition
The details of the journey
The timeline
What happened before, during, and after the journey
The Destination | 1520
Find out what happened when the expedition reached the Spice Islands
The Exploration | 1519 - 1520
Discover the highs and lows of the expedition
The Return | 1521 - 1522
Discover the hazardous return journey of the expedition
Setting Sail | 1517 - 1518
Discover how the expedition was prepared
The Transformation | 1522 - Nowadays
Discover the impact of the first trip around the world
The Dream | 1434 - 1517
Discover how the first voyage around the world took place
The call of adventure
21th century scientists and explorers reflect on the courage it takes to face the unknown
Video
What Drives Us To Explore?
The modern experience when undertaking a journey to the unknown
Video
What Is The Limit Of Exploration?
Technology and human will as the limits of exploration
Video
What Does The Explorer Fear?
The fears when undertaking the journey
Video
Why Do We Get On Board?
Historians, sailors, athletes, explorers and astronauts tell what the call of adventure is like.
Video
Is The Ship A Microworld?
Scientists and explorers relate their experience during the trip.
Retrace the route
Follow the steps of the expedition in this interactive map
The Route of Magellan and Elcano (1519–1522)
Travelling used to be very different without the speed and convenience of airplanes...
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It's throwback time
Looking back on a world that no one knew the size or shape of
The details behind the history
16 Questions About The 16th Century
The historical context of when the voyage took place
How long did the first circumnavigation of the world take?
Almost 3 years
The expedition route
Almost 3 years
180 days
1 year 11 months
4 years and a half
Learn more
Learn more
Who was who?
Learn about the main characters that made the voyage possible
Carlos I of Spain (1500–58)
One of the most powerful rulers in all of history
Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521)
The Portuguese explorer who organised the expedition
Juan Sebastián Elcano (1486/87–1526)
The Spanish captain that completed the first circumnavigation
Antonio Pigafetta (c. 1480/90–c. 1534)
The Italian author of the voyage's primary record
Juan Sebastián Elcano
Discover the epic story of the Basque sailor who proved that the world was round.
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“To drown in the abyss-heaven or hell, who cares? Through the unknown, we'll find the new...”
Charles Baudelaire
A pinch of clove and nutmeg
Learn how the spices motivated maritime voyages to undiscovered lands
Why Were Spices So Important?
Imagine what supper would be like without any seasoning...
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In ship shape
Five naos left Seville for the expedition, only one returned
The ships
The Nao Victoria: The Ship That Travelled Round the World
Take a stroll around the full scale replica of the Nao Victoria
The ships
The Scale Model Ships of the Expedition
San Antonio, Trinidad, Concepción, Victoria, and Santiago
The ships
Life On Board On A 16th Century Spanish Ship
Revive the voyage around the world aboard a replica of the Nao Victoria
Hit the deck of the Nao Victoria
Take a tour of the only ship that returned to Sevilla
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The Deck
Explore
The Hold
Explore
The Forecastle
Pushing the boats out
Join the illustrator Arturo Redondo on a journey around the departure ports
Zoom into the details
Seville in 1519
The gateway to the Americas
Zoom into the details
Sanlúcar in 1519
A hive of cosmopolitan activity
“Keep Ithaca always in your mind. Arriving there is what you are destined for”.
Constantine Peter Cavafy
The hazardous return
Two ships arrived at the Spice Islands in 1521 but only one made it home
Zoom into the details
The Nao Victoria And Elcano's Return
The moment Elcano, followed by his crew, disembarked in Seville on September 8, 1522
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But What Happened To The Nao Trinidad?
Discover what happened to the ship that could have completed the first circumnavigation in history
The women left behind
Women remained at home while the men set off in search of new lands
Abandoned On The Shore
Discover how women fought for their and their children's survival
Enter the archives
Go straight to the source of historical knowledge
How a 16th-Century Document Gets Restored
Restoring the "Letter From Gonzalo Gómez de Espinosa to Carlos I of Spain"
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Unravelling the history of the first ever expedition around the world
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THE EXPLORATION
The encounter with the unknown
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