“Victoria” ship

Ship

Age of Discovery

Quick Facts:

“Victoria” (or “Nao Victoria”, as well as “Vittoria”) was a Spanish carrack and the first ship to successfully circumnavigate the world.

Victoria

Victoria

“Victoria, circa 1510, Spanish Carrack,” Greg McKay, Modelmaker, The Mariners’ Museum (1991.52).

The “Victoria” ship (or “Nao Victoria”, as well as “Vittoria”) was a Spanish carrack and the first ship to successfully circumnavigate the world.

Ferdinand Magellan received funding from Charles V of Spain to set sail with a fleet of five ships. The fleet left Sanlúcar de Barrameda on September 20, 1519. Magellan’s foremost difficulty was that he commanded a fleet of Spanish captains and sailors while he was Portuguese. In April 1520, a mutiny erupted and the mutineers took the San Antonio and the Concepción, and Magellan held the “Victoria”, the Trinidad, and the Santiago. The mutiny was put down and the culprits were executed.

On May 22, the Santiago wrecked at the mouth of the Santa Cruz River and was abandoned. In October 1520, they rounded the southern tip of South America and the Concepción and the San Antonio were sent ahead to explore the route. Tired of Magellan and the voyage, the San Antonio took the opportunity to set sail back to Spain. This left the “Victoria”, Concepción, and Trinidad to sail into the Pacific on November 28, 1520.

After crossing the Pacific, Magellan was killed April 27, 1521 and the rest of the expedition attempted to escape the Philippine Islands. The Concepción was burned to prevent capture at the Island of Bohol and the two remaining ships had to try to get back to Spain. On December 21, 1520, the “Victoria” and a crew of 47 men set sail across the Indian Ocean to Spain. They arrived at Sanlúcar de Barrameda September 6, 1522 with only 18 men. The Trinidad decided to re-trace their steps across the Pacific, but turned back to Tadore, the Moluccas, where the Portuguese captured them. Only four of the crewmen made it back to Spain in 1527.

The “Victoria” ship made two more voyages to America, more specifically, Hispaniola. Unfortunately, she sank on her second return trip.

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