Giovanni da Verrazzano: The First European to Document Manhattan Island (1524)

The Voyage

Commissioned by King Francis I of France, the Florentine navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed La Dauphine across the Atlantic in 1524 seeking a northwest passage to Asia. In April 1524, he entered the Upper New York Bay, anchoring near present-day Staten Island.

Encounter with Manhattan

• Verrazzano described a "very agreeable hill" (likely Manhattan’s southern tip) and a "large river" (Hudson) flowing from the interior.
• He noted Lenape canoes approaching curiously; traded knives, beads for furs.
• Named the harbor Angoulême (after Francis I’s title); the land Francesca.
• Stayed one day; did not explore inland.

Historical Significance

• First documented European sighting of Manhattan (earlier Norse voyages unrecorded).
• Report spurred French interest; later Dutch (Hudson 1609) and English claims followed.
• Verrazzano’s brother Girolamo mapped the coast; the 1529 Verrazzano map shows "Angoulême" clearly.

Legacy

• Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (1964) honors him—spans the strait he first sailed.
• Verrazzano Day (April 17) celebrated by Italian-American communities.
• His letter to Francis I (Codex Cellere) remains a foundational ethnohistoric source.