The world of the sea and the highest Spanish authorities paid tribute this Tuesday, September 6, to the 18 sailors who, 500 years ago, cThey completed the first circumnavigation of the world in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (southern Spain), considered the greatest nautical feat in history.
The tribute was attended by King Felipe VI, who presided over the acts aboard the Spanish Navy school ship, which precisely bears the name of Juan Sebastián Elcano, the sailor who commanded the expedition to the end, an adventure that also began with the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan.
A historical feat
On September 6, 1522, it arrived in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, commanded by Juan Sebastián Elcano.the ship “Victoria” with the 18 sailors who managed to complete the first voyage around the world, after a trip that served to demonstrate, for the first time, that the Earth is round.
The survivors arrived exhausted and malnourished when no one was expecting them, three years after their departure and after having taken a leap in the history of humanity, the importance of which has been compared to that of the first trip to the Moon.
That trip began on August 10, 1519, with five Spanish ships captained by Ferdinand Magellan that departed from Seville, at that time the main Spanish port of connection with America, with the order of King Carlos I to open a route to the west heading to the Spice Islands (Moluccas).
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Tribute at sea
Five hundred years later, a naval parade on Tuesday remembered that feat and offered a tribute to the 18 survivors of the 234 crew members who left with the expedition, on the first day of the three that the celebrations will last.
The commemorative acts began with a colorful naval parade, in which twelve Navy ships participated and the Spanish training ship was accompanied throughout the naval parade by the replica of two historic ships: the “Victoria” and the “Andalucía” “, in addition to a hundred sailboats and small private boats that joined.
After the naval magazine, From the deck of the “Juan Sebastián Elcano” tribute was paid with a floral offering to the sailors who died during the expedition.
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Heading to Seville
Once the event was over, the ship “Audaz” and the historic ships began their journey to go up the Guadalquivir River until they reached Seville to continue the tributes.
Next Thursday, the 8th, the replica of the ship “Victoria” will arrive in the Andalusian capital following the last steps of that historic expedition.
The city will offer a recreation in which a group of actors characterized as the 18 sailors who returned from the expedition will emulate the arrival in Seville of Elcano and his sailors and the subsequent religious procession to the Church of Santa Ana, in the popular and “sailor” neighborhood of Triana, just as they did then to thank the Virgin of Victory his return and the culmination of his journey.
A high-level meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Spain and Portugal and the delivery of a bust of Elcano to the Permanent Representation of the European Commission in Spain for its support of the commemoration project are part of the events scheduled in Seville.
The 5th Centenary of the 1st Round the World maritime festival will also be held, as well as other shows, in a commemoration that will end on September 10.
EFE
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