Explorers
- António de Noli (1415/1419 – c. 1497), explorer for Portugal. Discovered some of the Cape Verde islands in 1460
- Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778–1823), explorer, engineer, and amateur archaeologist, often regarded as one of the first Egyptologists
- John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) (c. 1450 – c. 1499), explorer for England. In the summer of 1497, he crossed the Atlantic and discovered the mainland of North America
- Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo) (1451–1506), explorer for Spain. Sailed in 1492 and discovered the "New World" of the Americas
- Henri de Tonti (1649/1650–1704), explorer for France. Founded the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley in 1686
- Giovanni da Pian del Carpine (c. 1180–1252), Franciscan friar, first noteworthy European traveller in the Mongol Empire
- Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485–1528), explorer for France. First European to sight New York and Narragansett bays
- Alessandro Malaspina (1754–1810), nobleman who spent most of his life as a Spanish naval officer and explorer
- Umberto Nobile (1885–1978), engineer and Arctic explorer. The first man to fly over the North Pole
- Antonio Pigafetta (c. 1491 – c. 1534), navigator and writer who accompanied Magellan in the first expedition of circumnavigation of the world
- Marco Polo (c. 1254–1324), explorer and merchant, famous for his travels in central Asia and China
- Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (1852–1905), explorer for France. Famous for having added an area three times the size of France to the French empire in Africa
- Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), explorer. Discovered the Amazon river in South America. The name for the Americas is derived from his given name
Read more about this topic: List Of Italians
Famous quotes containing the word explorers:
“Such were the first rude beginnings of a town. They spoke of the practicability of a winter road to the Moosehead Carry, which would not cost much, and would connect them with steam and staging and all the busy world. I almost doubted if the lake would be there,—the self-same lake,—preserve its form and identity, when the shores should be cleared and settled; as if these lakes and streams which explorers report never awaited the advent of the citizen.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The forests are held cheap after the white pine has been culled out; and the explorers and hunters pray for rain only to clear the atmosphere of smoke.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)