One of the biggest navigators in Portuguese History is Ferdinand Magellan, who earned his place in history as the first man to successfully complete a circumnavigate voyage – the ultimate proof that the earth was round.
Ferdinand Magellan lived most of is life in Portugal. He was raised as a servant of the Queen D. Leonor and later became part of the royal house. He participated in several trips of the Discoveries between Lisbon and India and fought on several military cãmpaigns in the Indian Ocean for the conquests of Sofala, Quiloa and in the attempt of Mallacas conquer.
In 1517, 37-year-old Ferdinand moves to Spain and the reasons behind this are still discussed among scholars, but one thing we know for sure, he left the country in search for economical compensations, likelier to be granted by the Spanish King. The crown of Spain had a lot to profit with Ferdinand Magellan’s knowledge, in particular from the area of Mallacas, where he had been once at the service of the Portuguese crown.
However, the voyage that became famous as the first complete voyage around the world, did not have this purpose at heart.
Ferdinand’s and King Carlos V of Spain’s objective was to reach the less known Maluku Islands, following a western route, taking an opposite route from the on the Portuguese followed to India. The Maluku were rumored to have many riches and were further to the east and therefore it was believed that they could be on Spanish waters, according to the Treaty of Tordesillas. This could entitle Spain to claim a new territory that would grant them a desirable stake in the spice market route, until that time dominated by the Portuguese.
It’s clear the importance of the Treaty of Tordesillas on the planning of this trip. The Spanish king, king Charles V authorized the expedition, but the navigator was not allowed to cross Portuguese waters on his way to India and therefore the only available route was to try to prove that there was a passage through the west and respect the Treaty of Tordesillas.