Ferdinand Magellan's and Juan Sebastián Elcano's Wills (Collection)

A person’s last will, set forth in a testament, reveals a great deal about their interpersonal relationships, possessions, interests, and values, as well as the times in which they lived. Therefore, wills are undoubtedly among the most intriguing historical documents of all and offer remarkable insights into the lives and personalities of people who have long since passed away. This facsimile collection brings together the wills of two central figures in early modern seafaring: Ferdinand Magellan (before 1485–1521) and Juan Sebastián Elcano (1486/1487–1526), under whose command the first documented circumnavigation of the globe was successfully accomplished. Magellan had his will drawn up in 1519 shortly before the mission began—perhaps foreseeing that it would cost him his life. After his death on the Philippine island of Mactan, Elcano took command. With only one of the five ships and 17 surviving crew members, he completed the circumnavigation on September 6, 1522. Just three years later, he embarked on another voyage, this time bound for the Indonesian Moluccas and under the command of García Jofre de Loaísa (c. 1490–1526). But this time, malnutrition claimed his life. Just a few days before his death, he dictated his last will and testament to the seafaring Augustinian monk Andrés de Urdaneta (1498–1568), who wrote down his final wishes for him.