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:
“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)
“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)