Exploration

Giovanni da Verrazano

orn in Val di Greve, near Florence, Verrazano was an Italian navigator. He was part of the French maritime service and greatly feared as a pirate (corsair) when his forces raided Spanish vessels.

Commissioned by King Francis the first of France to seek a northwestern sea route to china and conquer more land for France, Verrazano set off and in 1524 reached land. It was the cost of what is today North Carolina. Following this, he sailed along and explored the Atlantic coast, venturing as far north as Nova Scotia.

Thereafter, Verrazano was the first European to enter New York Bay. The bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island in New York harbor, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, is named after him.

In 1527, on his second mission to Brazil, Verrazano was killed by Native Americans.