By Rita Cipalla

Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci might be famous for their early explorations of the New World, yet another Italian adventurer who commanded a four-year expedition to the Pacific Northwest, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand—said to be one of the greatest scientific expeditions of the day—is virtually unknown today.

Alessandro Malaspina, born in Mulazzo, Tuscany, in 1754 and raised in Palermo, sailed under the Spanish flag, as did Columbus and Vespucci. During his round-the-world voyage, Malaspina meticulously documented the native tribes, plants and coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. After returning home, though, he was accused of plotting against the Spanish government and jailed. Accounts of his voyage were all but lost until recent years.

Read more

Fonte: L'italo-Americano