Food of the Magellan-Elcano expedition (Collection)

It is probably one of the most famous seafaring stories of all time: the first circumnavigation of the world under Ferdinand Magellan (c. 1480–1521) and Juan Sebastián Elcano (1486/87–1526), which even cost the former and most of the crew their lives. On September 20, 1519, the five participating ships set sail from Spain to find a western route to the Spice Islands on behalf of the Spanish crown. Of course, it was essential to supply the 242-man international crew with food and drinking water. Two remarkable documents in the Archivo General de Indias provide information about the foodstuffs with which the armada's 480 tons of cargo capacity were filled. Among other things, 2138 quintals of rusks, 50 fanegas of beans, 90 fanegas of chickpeas and 984 wheels of cheese were taken along, as well as seven living cows, 250 braids of garlic and 508 barrels of wine. Numerous spices and dried fruits were also taken along. A fascinating insight into early modern Iberian cuisine, but also the challenging planning of such a long journey long before reliable refrigeration technology existed.