- What?
- No.
- Amerigo
Amerigo
- Oh!
- What made you do that?
- I'm sorry, Captain.
It's that parrot.
- The parrot hit me with your shoe.
Is that it?
- Yes sir.
That is, no sir, the parrot.
No, it was me.
- Here!
We're not making any headway.
- There's no wind.
- Ever since we've been at sea, you promised
you'd tell me how it happened that a lawyer's son
turned into a scholar and navigator.
Now you might as well tell your story
since we've nothing to do but wait for the wind.
You're never going to have a better time.
- Yes, if you'd like.
It's really a very long story.
You could even say a love story.
It all began in Florence a long time ago.
(heads bump)
- Leonardo da Vinci, as usual,
you're not watching your step.
- I might say the same to you, Vespucci.
- What are you up to these days, Leonardo?
- I'm studying painting.
My father signed me up at Verrocchio Studio.
- Verrocchio, but he's a great painter.
You're very lucky.
- Hm, and you?
- Me, still studying.
Uncle Giorgio has been teaching Latin, mathematics,
philosophy, astronomy, some history.
- You're lucky too, Amerigo.
The life of a scholar, I would also like to learn
Latin, and mathematics, and history.
I'll be seeing you Amerigo.
- We're going to begin with mathematics today.
Amerigo, I have taught you everything that I can.
Paolo Toscanelli, the great Geographer,
will outline his new ideas.
- Everybody knows these days that we can reach Asia
by sailing around Africa.
Only now I believe that sailing due West,
we will also reach Asia.
And I've come to that conclusion.
- But then, the Earth is much smaller than was thought.
- That's possible.
I sent a detailed map to a sailor in Genoa
who wanted to try it (mumbling) Columbus.
That's it, Columbus is his name.
- And with the theories of Archimedes
and Euclid's mathematics, and the geographical principles
of Ptolemy, well, I'm pretty sure
I can plot the stars, Simonetta.
- All that I am sure is extremely interesting.
What will you do with this knowledge
and with the philosophy of Plato you spoke
about for hours last time we met?
- I'm not too sure, yet, Simonetta.
But I would like to travel everywhere in the world.
I know one thing.
One day I'm going to be famous.
You're very beautiful, Simonetta.
- Oh, what a marvelous creature!
- Sir, I find your behavior rather crass.
May I?
- Forgive me.
It's just that lovely face, that gorgeous hair,
fine figure, and elegance.
It's the face of a an angel!
- How dare you, sir!
Who are you?
- I'm sorry I'm a painter.
My name is Boticelli.
- The famous Boticelli!
- Famous, well, I suppose.
Sandro Botticelli, I'm working on a painting now,
The Birth of Venus.
Now I've found her.
- Oh, Senor, do you really think I will do?
I mean, really?
- Oh, you are the only one.
I pray that you accept.
The painting represents the rebirth of life.
(mumbles)
With your face, you're angel face
I know you will inspire me.
You're going to spur my imagination to new heights,
a pinnacle of art, a masterpiece.
- I immediately turned my hand to painting.
I quickly gave it up though, no talent.
- Oh, you're not hungry, Amerigo?
- Father, so far I've done nothing with my life
at the age of 30.
- I know the Medici's very well.
I could arrange for a place in their bank
- You don't understand, Uncle Giorgio.
All around me people are doing marvelous things.
Leonardo's become a great painter, Boticelli as well.
And young Machiavelli's in politics.
These are fabulous times.
Picadelli Milannuela, who's 10 years younger than me,
he knows everything.
I've done nothing.
No one will ever no my name.
- Aw, that nobody can say my lad.
The world is flowering as the century ends.
There's still so much to do.
So much yet to be discovered.
- Oh, I've had it with this idiotic job!
- Amerigo, you have a visitor.
- His Excellency, Lorenzo de' Medici.
- Yes, Amerigo, you're a good banker.
But you are bored here.
How would you like to go to Seville in Spain?
I have interest in negotiations there.
- Would I (laughing)?
(fast jaunty music)
(laughing)
I'm ready, your Excellency.
- Welcome to Seville.
You're Amerigo Vespucci from Florence.
- How did you know., Senor Verardi?
- Oh, people here don't wear such colorful clothing.
Spanish people prefer dark colors.
You've come at the right time.
We could use your help with an expedition
I'm planning just now.
It concerns a Christopher Columbus.
He's selling West to Asia.
He thinks he'll get to Asia by sailing West.
- Columbus, I know of him.
Yes, I've heard that name.
- On the third of August, 1492, Christopher Columbus
would leave Spain sailing due West.
Well the round trip voyage took an entire year.
But he reached India.
- India, you say.
Are you sure that he went to India?
- Of course.
Otherwise, where would these Indians have come from?
- I've heard Indians are supposed to wear turbans
around their heads as rule, and they wear garments
made of silk.
- Well, shh.
- Ah, Senor Verardi, I've decided I'm going
on another expedition in a few months with more ships.
Would you join me in Cathay at that time?
We'll prepare everything for my expedition.
- Well here we are.
- Splendid, we must act fast.
My new expedition leaves in three months.
This time I'll take 17 ships, more than a thousand men,
livestock,(mumbles), and 40 cows and a hundred horses,
and as many coats and kegs.
- Is that all?
- No, not quite.
Put down 20 barrels of wine.
- That's what he ordered.
Alright, let's get to work.
(trumpets blaring)
- Columbus says there can be no doubt.
We have certainly arrived in China, gracious Majesties.
- I agree with you Christopher Columbus is a good sailor;
however, no geographer.
To know where you are, you have to take readings
with an astrolabe.
- So he doesn't know where he was.
- No question about it.
But I'll show the route to India.
The rest you know because we sailed it together, Captain.
- Tell the whole story.
It'll remind us of where we found that nuisance.
What memories!
- I received your letters Senor Vespucci.
All of these lands discovered by Columbus,
they must all be thoroughly explored,
full descriptions made, and above all accurate maps
kept in a (spoken in foreign language)
You are going to command ships on our behalf.
Amerigo Vespucci, you'll make accurate maps for us.
- Christopher Columbus sailed west.
We will sail to the south.
- Land, ahoy!
- Look at that!
That must be the mouth of a giant river.
Tonight I'm going ashore from there I'll calculate latitude.
Only a great continent could give rise
to such a massive river.
Houses right on the water.
It's like Venice.
- We'll name this region Venechetta or better Venezuela.
- I've never seen that.
Big boats, it's magic!
We are in major danger!
- Oh!
- Hey, look!
(men screaming)
Fire cannons!
- I don't understand.
We didn't do anything to them.
- They were frightened, that's all.
We sail to the South.
(Natives yelling)
- We have to be careful.
- Yes, but we do have to trust in their good intentions.
- Alright, let's go.
They certainly seem to be welcoming us.
They're bringing us food.
- Ah, hey!
- Look at this, real pearls.
- Ah, ha!
- Oh!
- That's gold.
Oh, wow, it's pure gold!
Ask him over there.
- Hey you, I want to know where this gold's from?
- This gold?
Where could we get some more of it?
- Yeah!
- Hey!
- That's not enough.
It takes too long to get it that way.
- I know, but he won't show us where it is.
- Hey pal, where's the gold?
(Native speaking in foreign language)
- Take him!
Where's that gold?
Start talking.
- Come on.
Where is the mine?
- Ow, who was that?
(whistling)
- Ow!
- Cut it out, will ya?
- You ain't acting too polite.
- Neither are you.
- I'll show you, you dope!
(all fighting)
- Hey that dumb savage is gone!
- Huh?
They were so friendly.
What happened to them?
That way!
- Nobody could live in there.
- Let's take a look.
- Let's be careful.
There look!
- Mm, delicious.
I'll take one for my collection.
Oh, gotcha!
Marvelous, this isn't China or India.
But a whole new world.
- Giant mushroom, whoa!
Oh, I've got an awful tummy ache.
- That looks like it might taste good.
Ah!
I hate this.
Oh, I wanna go back home.
- Amerigo, you have to see this.
A nose?
What a nose!
Amerigo!
I've got to have one.
I got to!
Whoa!
- Amerigo!
- Huh?
- Amerigo!
- He keeps saying it, you're gonna be famous!
We should return before we get lost.
Let's go.
- What an extraordinary creature for my collection!
- Oh, hey!
Got ya!
- No, let him go, Amerigo!
Let go of him!
I wouldn't fight that pussycat.
(both mumbling)
- Oh!
The collection, there it goes!
- Amerigo, you'll make another collection.
- I'm going to calculate the position of this river.
There's the pole star.
It's unusually low in the sky.
Let's see.
Now then 10 degrees north.
We are a few leagues north of the equator.
It's not some little island, Alonzo.
We're standing on a new world!
And you know what you said?
Do you recall?
- It could be a new world, but it's no paradise.
- And all that.
Alonzo, soon we'll be out of water.
I think I'll get some sleep.
Wake me up if a wind begins to stir.
- Look here on the map.
You'll understand better.
It was right here on the Orinoco River
that Vespucci set foot on America at the mouth
of the largest river in the world the Amazon.
- And all those peculiar animals and strange plants
that Vespucci had collected really
were totally unknown in Europe?
- Vespucci
- Gesundheit!
- Uh, not really.
- Oh!
- For instance, wait a minute.
At the time, no one in Europe knew the tomato,
the potato either.
Nobody knew of sweet corn, peanuts, sunflowers,
cotton, pepper, and pineapple, chocolate.
- No chocolate at all?
- Afraid not.
No cocoa.
That's where you get chocolate.
No rubber either.
- Oh!
- What are the others that I didn't mention?
Oh, yes, there's avocado, don't forget that.
There's tobacco.
That's one import we can do without.
Vanilla, what's this?
(all gasping)
Oh, the turkey.
It'd be impossible not to mention the turkey.
He came from the new world.
- And those two men our two friends back on the ship.
Did they find some wind?
- The wind did finally begin to blow.
You'll see.
- Amerigo!
- That's my name.
Who's calling?
- Amerigo!
- Ow!
Toe, ah!
- Amerigo!
- Didn't you hear me?
We're in for a real gale!
Look at that!
And will you stop waving that shoe?
You'll need good footing.
Why not put it on?
There, it's sure to be a real storm.
- I'd rather see that than have total calm.
- All sails!
- Our Father, up in Heaven.
Look after us.
- Well it's gone.
- Yeah, we're lucky that we're all still alive.
- There's no more drinking water.
- When we get sight of land, we'll take our provisions.
- Strong sails?
- Amerigo!
- Oh, I still here.
- That's gonna sink this ship.
Sound the cannon!
Some kind of steak with legs.
- It's really a reptile.
And what a tough hide!
- He's got a pretty good set of teeth.
If you want to know the truth, I've tasted worse.
It's a little bit like roast chicken.
- I reckon we're on the equator.
I say we must be heading west.
- There's a man overboard!
Quick, help!
- Oh!
It's fresh water!
You can drink it!
- I say what is this nonsense.
- Fresh water, taste it for yourself.
- He's right!
There's not a bit of salt!
And yet there's no land in sight.
There's only one explanation.
There's a gigantic river out there.
- We better take on fresh water all we can.
Set course, due West!
- Sand banks ahead
- That's it.
We're now precisely on the equator.
Tomorrow we will go up river.
- Not a speck of gold here.
Monster!
- Oh!
Wild pigs!
It'll be a good meal tonight.
We need one.
(laughing)
- Hey, what's the matter?
- Look at his nose!
Did you see that nose?
- There's no need to be scared of these strange creatures.
This one tried to help.
He ate up a few ants that were crawling on you.
Whoa!
- You mustn't be afraid of animals.
(Natives speaking)
- Let's wait to see what they are like.
There'll be plenty of time.
- Yes, let's go and hide now.
(children laughing)
(Native woman speaking)
(laughing)
- We've traveled here from far away
from where the sun comes up.
We are your friends.
Here's a present.
- In 1501, Vespucci this time totally in charge of a fleet
of three caravelles went off on one more great voyage.
This time it was for Manuel the first,
King of Portugal.
He started drawing up maps and working on longitudes.
Then he was to write a book.
- I truly made all these.
I knew I am right.
It was a new world we found.
- Some years later in France at the house
of the first printer of maps.
- Stop the press!
Stop the press!
It has to be changed.
- What?
Ptolemy's maps are wrong, Brother?
- We've got to change the maps now.
The change is historic.
- But Brother Martin.
- It's something special.
Ptolemy said there are only three continents
Europe, Asia, Africa.
But there's a fourth described here in great detail
by a traveler whose named Amerigo Vespucci.
- We have one more continent.
Well that is historic, and what's the name
of this new continent?
- Well, he doesn't mention a name.
Might name it Vespucca?
- Europe, Asia, Africa, Vespuuca, I'm sorry.
I would never remember it not Vespucca.
- Well how about America?
- That's better.
Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
Yes, that's quite good.
Yes, we'll write it America, the new continent.
It does have a ring to it.
- That's right.
It's how it happened more or less.
The new continent was given the name,
and Amerigo thought he would never be famous.