The cultural and scienti c heritage of the First Circumnavigation Voyage led by Ferdinand Magellan and completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano, as well as its humanistic relevance, remain current to this day. The universality of this historical turning point is both enduring and undergoes continuous renewal. Recalling this fundamental and pioneering achievement in the creation of the global world as we know it today, and revisiting the biography of its protagonists, together with the historical responsibility it represents, gives us an opportunity for broad re ection on the social and cultural exchanges that have since altered the natural and human landscape of our planet.
The celebration of the First Circumnavigation, which began in 1519 and concluded in 1522, is also a recognition and appreciation of the Culture of all peoples. Historical accounts show that the crew commanded by Ferdinand Magellan included sailors of more than ten nationalities. In other words, this historical achievement was only possible thanks to a real e ort of international cooperation.
As it was ve centuries ago, this is a reality that should be highlighted as part of the greater good, fundamental to human welfare and a more harmonious society. Aware of the unique importance of this commemoration and of the symbolism it represents, the CTT has sought inspiration in the spirit of those explorers who set out for the unknown and, more than any material wealth, brought back treasure in the form of encounters with new people, new avours and new art forms.
This philatelic emission celebrates this mutual discovery insofar as the voyage becomes associated with the depth of signi cance that postage stamps illustrate so well: as small fragments of graphic art, stamps become a vehicle to the unfathomable destinations of the imagination, in those letters that continue to cross borders with the timeless richness of the handwritten word, despite the technological advances of the new digital media.
The route opened by the Portuguese navigator represents in a real way the rst integral ‘vision’ of the world, manifest in the singularity of a certain geographical, cultural, scienti c and socio-economic point of view; in short, a historical landmark that deserves to be projected into the 21st century. It is because of this symbolic richness that the Task Force for the Celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the First Circumnavigation Voyage has chosen to associate itself with the launch of this philatelic series: not only to celebrate the cultural values of this historical undertaking but also as a way to perpetuate its spirit in the Present and in the Future.
José Marques
President of the Task Force for the Celebrations of the 500th anniversary of
the First Circumnavigation Voyage
