Martín Alonzo Pinzón

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Oil painting in Palos de la Frontera's City Hall

Martín Alonso Pinzón, (Palos de la Frontera, Huelva; c. 1441 – March 1493), Spanish navigator and explorer. He sailed with Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the New World in 1492, as captain of the Pinta.^[1]

Pinzón was born in a family of Spanish shipowners. He was the brother of Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, and part-owner of the Niña and the Pinta. Vicente was pilot on the Niña.

Pinzón suggested to Columbus a change of course for their voyage on October 7, 1492. His suggestion brought the fleet into the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. During the voyage to the Americas Pinzón often disobeyed the orders of Columbus. Pinzón became separated from Columbus in Cuba on November 21, 1492. He probably sailed off on his own trying to make individual discoveries and to find treasures. (In fairness to Pinzon, it should be said that Columbus's voyage plan for that day - November 21st.- must have seemed pointless and rather reckless in the circumstances. Columbus was heading back towards the Bahamian islands which they had already visited. In other words Columbus seemed intent on returning to a region of islands, shoals and reefs, where they knew that sailing was difficult and dangerous and where there was little of significance to profit the voyage.)

Some scholars believe that Pinzón was the first person to discover the island of Puerto Rico, based on his easterly course after separating from the other ships while in the Bahamas.

Pinzón rejoined Columbus on January 6, 1493, when the fleet was to sail back to Spain. On returning to Spain, Pinzón's ship was separated from Columbus by a storm. Pinzón arrived in Baiona in Galicia, near Vigo, in March 1493 (after Columbus had already reached Spain, but before he had met with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella). Columbus later accused Pinzón of disloyalty. Pinzón returned to his home in Palos de la Frontera, where he died in November 1493, probably of syphilis that he caught during the voyage.

Pinzón was a more accomplished sailor than Columbus^{[citation needed]} and was later granted the title Admiral of the Seas by the Spanish royalty^{[citation needed]}. While Columbus is credited with the discovery of the New World, the extensive experience, navigation and seaman's skills of the Pinzón brothers, was key to the mission's success. There were later recordings of Pinzón's skill and bravery on the seas.

1 In popular culture
2 Bibliography
3 See also
4 References

[edit] In popular culture

Martín Alonso Pínzon was portrayed by Tchéky Karyo in the 1992 film 1492: Conquest of Paradise.

[edit] Bibliography

Louis-Théodule Begaud: Le premier Capitaine au long cours, Martín Alonso Pinzón, associé de Christophe Colomb ; Organisateur et animateur de l'expédition de 1492, Paris 1944
Adám Szászdi: El descubrimiento de Puerto Rico en 1492 por Martín Alonso Pinzón, in: Revista de historia. San Juan , Año 1(1985), Nr. 2, S. 9-45.
Domingo Gómez: Vindicación del piloto de la carabela "Pinta", Martín Alonso Pinzón, in: Mundi hispánico. - Madrid , Año 21(1968), Nr. 241.
Francisco Morales Padrón: Las relaciones entre Colón y Martín Alonso Pinzón, in: Actas. - Lisboa , Vol. 3(1961), S. 433-442.
Urs Bitterli: Die "Wilden" und die "Zivilisierten", 3. Aufl., München 2004 ISBN ?
Ders.: Alte Welt - neue Welt, München 1992 ISBN ?
Ders.: Die Entdeckung Amerikas, 4. Aufl., München 1992 ISBN ?
Ders.: Die Kenntnis beider "Indien" im frühneuzeitlichen Europa, München 1991