History From the Archives Episode 3: VICTORIA, The ship that circumnavigated the world

Summary

This episode of 'History from the Archives' delves into the history of the Victoria, the only ship from Magellan's expedition to return to Spain after circumnavigating the globe. Named after a church in Seville, the ship's origins were a mystery until a document revealed it was owned by a Basque family and was bought by the Spanish king for 800 ducats. Despite initial skepticism about its seaworthiness, it completed the journey and was later sold for 285 ducats. The ship met a tragic end when it wrecked on a return trip to Spain, with all crew members perishing.

Takeaways

• 🚢 The Victoria was the only ship from Magellan's expedition that completed the circumnavigation of the globe.
• 📜 The Victoria was named after Santa Maria de la Victoria, a church in Seville's sailors district.
• 🏛️ The ship was originally owned by a family in the Basque region, with the father being a ship pilot.
• 💼 The ship was acquired by the King of Spain through negotiation facilitated by the Casa de Contratación de las Indias.
• 💵 The Victoria was bought for 800 ducats in gold, which the owners considered too low.
• 📊 Among the five ships of the expedition, the Victoria was the second most expensive, after the San Antonio.
• 🕵️ The Portuguese Council of Seville, Sebastian Alvarez, provided a report to King Manuel of Portugal describing the poor condition of the ships.
• 🌍 On September 8, 1522, the Victoria returned to Seville with 18 survivors of the expedition.
• 🔄 After its return, the Victoria was sold by the king and eventually bought by an Italian named Steven Centurion for 285 ducats.
• 🚣 The ship was later used as a transport vessel to South America but met its end in a shipwreck on its second trip back to Spain.

Q & A

What is the name of the ship that brought the survivors of the Magellan expedition back to Spain?

The ship was named Victoria.

What was the significance of the ship Victoria in the Magellan expedition?

The Victoria was significant because it was the only ship that completed the circumnavigation of the world and brought the survivors back to Spain.

Where was the ship Victoria named after?

The ship was named after Santa Maria de la Victoria, a church in the sailors' district of 16th-century Seville, called Triana.

Who were the original owners of the ship Victoria?

The ship was originally owned by a family, with the father named Domingo the Apalua, a ship pilot, and his son Pedro de Arres Hidalgo, both residents of Ondarua.

How was the ship Victoria acquired by the King of Spain?

The ship was acquired by the King of Spain through negotiations by a representative of the Casa de Contratación de las Indias, which is the trading house of Spain.

How much was the ship Victoria bought for by the King of Spain?

The ship Victoria was bought for 800 ducats in gold, which was approximately 300,000 maravedis.

What was the role of Sebastian del Cano in the acquisition of the ship Victoria?

Sebastian del Cano, a resident of Guetaria, likely informed the officials of the Casa de Contratación about the ships available in the neighboring town, which may have led to the acquisition of the Victoria.

What was the condition of the Victoria according to the Portuguese council of Seville?

The Portuguese council of Seville reported that the Victoria and the other ships were very old and in poor condition, patched up and not suitable for long voyages.

How many survivors did the Victoria bring back to Spain after the Magellan expedition?

The Victoria brought back 18 survivors, although the exact number is uncertain as there may have been unlisted prisoners among them.

What happened to the ship Victoria after it returned from the expedition?

After returning, the Victoria was sold by the King of Spain through public bidding and was eventually bought by an Italian named Esteban Centurion for 285 ducats.

What was the final fate of the ship Victoria?

The ship Victoria was used as a transport vessel to South America but suffered a shipwreck on its second trip back to Spain, with all the crew perishing.

Outlines

00:00

🚢 The Eminent Victoria: Origins and Acquisition

This paragraph introduces the Victoria, the only ship of the Magellan expedition that completed the circumnavigation and returned survivors to Spain. It discusses the historical mystery surrounding the ship's origins and how it was acquired. The ship was named after a church in Seville and was found to have been owned by a family from the Basque region, with the father being a ship pilot. The ship was used as a cargo ship between London and Castile before being sold to the Spanish king. The sale was facilitated by the Casa de Contratación de las Indias, and it was suggested that Sebastian del Cano might have informed the officials about the ship's availability. The paragraph also mentions the discovery of a document that revealed new information about the ship's history.

05:01

💰 The Victoria's Value and Post-Expedition Fate

This paragraph delves into the financial aspect of the Victoria's acquisition and its subsequent sale after the expedition. It was revealed that the ship was bought for 800 ducats in gold, an amount the owners reluctantly accepted as insufficient. The Victoria was considered the second most expensive among the five ships of the expedition. After the expedition, the ship was auctioned off, and it was initially undervalued. It was eventually sold for 285 ducats to an Italian named Steven Centurion. The paragraph also discusses the Portuguese spy's report on the poor condition of the ships, which was in stark contrast to the Victoria's successful completion of the circumnavigation.

10:05

🌐 The Victoria's Final Voyages and Tragic End

The final paragraph of the script recounts the Victoria's use after its return from the Magellan expedition. It was employed as a transport vessel for passengers to South America, making multiple trips. However, during its second return trip to Spain, the ship met a tragic end, shipwrecking, and all crew members perished. This marked the end of the Victoria's historical journey, concluding its story with a somber note. The paragraph invites viewers to ask questions in the comments for further discussion in future episodes.

Keywords

💡Magellan Expedition

The Magellan Expedition refers to the first circumnavigation of the Earth, led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. This voyage, which started in 1519 and ended in 1522, was significant as it proved the world was round and interconnected by the seas. The expedition is a central theme of the video, focusing on the ship Victoria, which was the only ship to return to Spain with survivors.

💡Victoria

The Victoria is the name of the ship that completed the circumnavigation of the Earth as part of the Magellan Expedition. It is highlighted in the video as the only ship to bring home survivors, thus securing its place in history. The narrative discusses its origins, acquisition, and ultimate fate.

💡Seville

Seville is a city in Spain from where the Magellan Expedition set sail. It is mentioned in the script as the place where the Victoria returned after circumnavigating the globe. The city is historically significant as a major port during the Age of Exploration.

💡Casa de Contratación de las Indias

The Casa de Contratación de las Indias was a trading house in Spain responsible for the administration and regulation of trade with the Americas. In the context of the video, it is noted for negotiating the purchase of the Victoria, illustrating the ship's transition from a merchant vessel to an explorer's flagship.

💡Sebastian del Cano

Sebastian del Cano was a Spanish navigator who took over the leadership of the Magellan Expedition after Magellan's death and ultimately led the Victoria back to Spain. The video suggests he may have been instrumental in recommending the Victoria for the expedition.

💡Biscay

Biscay is a historical province in the Basque Country, Spain. The video discusses the Victoria's origins being linked to this region, as it was likely built in either Ondarua or nearby Absaroute, both in Biscay, emphasizing the ship's Basque roots.

💡Santa Maria de la Victoria

Santa Maria de la Victoria is the church after which the ship Victoria was named. It is located in the sailors' district of 16th-century Seville, called Triana. The church's name reflects the ship's religious and historical significance.

💡Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who organized the expedition that first circumnavigated the Earth. Although he did not complete the journey, as he was killed in the Philippines, his name is synonymous with the expedition. The video script positions the Victoria as the ship that carried on his mission.

💡Circumnavigation

Circumnavigation refers to the act of traveling around an entire geographical circumference, in this case, the Earth. The video emphasizes the Victoria as the ship that completed the first recorded circumnavigation, marking a significant achievement in human history.

💡San Antonio

The San Antonio is mentioned in the script as the most expensive and largest ship of the Magellan Expedition. It provides a comparison to the Victoria, highlighting the latter's role as the only ship to complete the journey despite not being the largest or most expensive.

💡Shipwreck

A shipwreck is the destruction or loss of a ship at sea. The video concludes with the tragic end of the Victoria, which shipwrecked during its second voyage to South America, killing all crew members and marking the end of its historical significance.

Highlights

The ship Victoria is historically significant as it was the only one that brought survivors of the Magellan expedition back to Spain after circumnavigating the globe.

The Victoria was named after Santa Maria de la Victoria, a church in 16th century Seville.

The ship's prominence is a historical puzzle, with questions about its age and ownership.

A document discovered by researcher Fernando Aguirre Aramayo revealed new information about the Victoria's origins.

The Victoria was originally owned by a family from the coastal town of Guetaria in the Basque region.

The ship was used as a cargo ship between London and Castile before being acquired by the Spanish king.

Sebastian del Cano, a resident of Guetaria, may have informed officials about the Victoria's availability for the expedition.

The Victoria was acquired by royal representatives for 800 ducats in gold, a price the owners considered low.

Among the five ships of the Magellan expedition, the Victoria was the second most expensive.

The Portuguese Council of Seville, Sebastian Alvarez, reported the poor condition of the ships to King Manuel of Portugal.

Despite the poor condition, the Victoria successfully completed the circumnavigation and returned to Seville.

After its return, the Victoria was sold by the king, initially receiving low bids.

The ship was eventually bought by an Italian named Steven Centurion for 285 ducats.

The Victoria was used as a transport vessel to South America before it met a tragic end in a shipwreck.

All the crew of the Victoria perished in the shipwreck, marking the end of the ship's historical journey.

The episode invites viewers to ask questions in the comment section for answers in the next installment.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello everyone

welcome to the history from the archives

as part of our continuing saga on the

magellan expedition

this episode will focus on one of the

most important features of the

expedition

the ship which earned great fame

in history as being the only one

that brought the survivors of the

expedition

to spain after uh having

journeyed throughout the world and

circumnavigated the world

this ship is the eminent victoria

while it is so famous in history

yet little is known about this

this episode will actually discuss

whatever materials we have

on the ship victoria

[Music]

named after santa maria de la victoria

the church in the sailors district in

16th century seville

called triana located immediately on the

bank at the fulsom kodalkiver river

the prominence of the ship remains one

of the puzzles in the annals of the

magellan expedition

was it brand new when it sailed for the

mulukas

or eventually the philippines or was it

an

old vessel who owned it

these were the questions historians had

been asking for the last

500 years until few years ago

when a document was found by a bas

researcher named fernando aguirre

aramaio a friend of mine

julian alonso an author of a book on

sebastian del cano

and a consultant in one of the museums

in bilbao

museum was devoted to showcasing the

accomplishments of

its uh famous son the bus the bas region

sebastian del cano gave me an

important document which he told me

this is still unknown

to a lot of historians in the world

except apparently

for the bus who discovered this

particular document

and this document actually talks about

the origin of the ship victoria

not only talk about um the origin

but it also tells us how this

victoria was acquired

by the king of spain and this

according to the document the ship

victoria was actually owned

by a family the father was named

domingo the apalua a ship pilot

and his son pedro de arres mindy

both residents of underwater

a coastal town in

the province of biscaya in the basque

region

very very near the birthplace of

chandelkar in ghitarya

according to this notarial document the

ship had been used

for some time between

london and castile apparently as a

cargo ship bringing this uh

merchandise from spain to

london and from london to spain for

reasons

unknown the officials of the casa de

contratacion de las indias

which is the trading house of spain just

like our sort of a stock market

sent a representative to ondarua

and negotiated for its sale

one possible source of information the

one who probably told

the king and the officials of the casa

de controversion that there is assert

there are certain ships there that could

be used later on

and the expedition could be as some

people suspected

could be no other than sebastian elcano

because sebastian khanna was actually as

i said

a resident at guitaria and guitaria was

also another coastal town

located in this bay of biscaya in the

bay of the sky

and it's very very near the town

obsidian del canon

and shivashan delgano had been sailing

for some time

and probably it was him who informed the

officials of the casa de contrartion

of these ships that are available

in his neighboring town so

they said that the ship victoria was

probably

or still earlier on to assault some

simply called santa maria

was probably built either in this place

in ondarua or they also say that

it could have been built in another

nearby town absaroute

very very close to the birthplace of

sebastian

which is guitaria acquired by the royal

representatives

at 800 ducats in gold

or approximately 300 000

maravides an amount the owners

grudgingly accepted

and they said that the the the payment

is not enough

the amount of 800 uh 300 000 meters not

sufficient

because they said it's still very very

low

and so according to the document they

sold it

against their will but then because it

is

the king that was buying the ship so

they could do and

it couldn't do anything but to sell it

according to that price

despite the fact that it's uh actually

low

the victoria um putting it in the

context of the

five ships of the expedition victoria

was

believed to be the second most expensive

among the five ships

the san antonio being the most expensive

and the largest

the portuguese council of seville

sebastian alvarez

he was supposedly a consul but actually

spying

on the development of the expedition

remember that

magellan was a renegade shifted these

allegiance to spain

so they were not very happy with what

magellan did and so they sent a spies

and so and was trying to see what would

happen to the expedition

will it succeed or would it fail and of

course the portuguese were praying that

it would

fail because it would be an

embarrassment to to portugal it

exceed but anyway um they were he was

spying on the progress of the expedition

and um he reported on 18 july

1519 to king manuel the king of portugal

at the time

and this is what he wrote he says the

ships of magellan split

sire are five they are very old and

patch up

for i saw them when they were breached

for repairs

it is 11 months since they were repaired

and they are now upload and they are

caulking them in the water

i went on board of them a few times and

i assure your highness

that i should be ill-inclined to sail in

them

to the canaries because their knees are

attached

so in a way the portuguese were happy

that's not going to succeed

because of this very very very poor

condition of the ships however on

september 8

15 22 the victoria was the only one

which brought

home to seville the 18 weekend

survivors of the magellan expedition

because uh the record says 18 but we

don't really know the exact number

because i said there were probably

prisoners who were actually

sent to the expedition and they were not

listed at all

and this ship of course victoria's was

the one that circumnavigated the world

upon arrival to the duck of the muellers

the victoria remained for several months

in kwadal kivir so there's a river there

at the heart of the

city of civilian called kodalkiver

and for some time after the return

it was there and nobody apparently

recognized the value of the ship so the

king eventually decided to sell

the victoria under the uh the guidance

or the management of crystal baldi one

of the

officers of the casa de contrarcion

it was placed on bid public bidding

and on february 16 1523 five months

after it

arrived one of the uh italian

a genuis by the name of steven centurion

offered to buy the ship for 150

ducats and two days after

of course the it was not accepted

because it was very very low

uh today two days after another round a

public meeting was held

and um this time there were actually

three uh who put up the bid certain man

by

one de palma one cardenas and the

previous bidder

esteban centurion who

apparently realizing that the amount

that he offered was not enough and of

course it was turned down

he raised it to 220 ducats again

the the proposed bid was not accepted

but a much higher bid was placed at 250.

again it was not accepted so

10 days after the first beating another

bidding was

raised was made and this time

centurion finally got the ship at 285

ducats so 285 ducats

earlier on it was bought at 300 at 800.

now you have 285

and what happened to the ship after that

two years later the owner

centurion passed away and the daughter

got hold of this young young at the time

so but apparently they realized that

they can still make use of the ship

so the ship was used as a transport

passenger

vessel to south america so

it went to south america landed in santo

domingo

returned again and then made another

trip

on its second trip while going back to

spain

it suffered a shipwreck and there

ended there the magnificent

victoria ship had a tragic end

all the crew perished when it went down

that's how the victoria

made its exit from world history

thank you for watching this episode i

hope this provides you

basic information about the santa maria

de la victoria

ship of the magellan expedition for your

questions

you may write down on the comment

section which will be answered in our

next episode

as we journey in our history from the

archives