Verrazzano giovanni da biography of michael

Born in Italy in the year 1485, Giovanni da Verrazzano explored the continent of North America extensively during his life, but in the name of France, not Italy. Much of his fame came from his explorations of North America’s Atlantic coast from the Carolinas up to Newfoundland, and he was the first to do so after Norse expeditions around the turn of the first millennium.

He has been honored in the States with having his name applied to bridges, ships, and places.

Life and First American Expedition

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Born in the south of Florence in Italy to Piero Andrea di Bernardo da Verrazzano and Fiametta Capelli, Giovanni da Verrazzano’s exact date of birth is unknown, and there have been alternative birthplaces proposed.

Because he served the king of France, French scholars have purported him to be of French birth, but that theory has been mostly discredited. He always referred to himself as a native of Florence and was called a Florentine by contemporaries.

While Verrazzano wrote