Ludovico di Varthema or Barthema
Biografie1468 - 1517
Over de kunstenaar
Ludovico di Varthema (ca. 1470-ca. 1517) was an Italian traveler and adventurer. Current opinion holds that he did visit all the places in the East he claimed, including some in which he was the first European.
A native of Bologna, he traveled to the East in 1502 when he was over the age of 30. Propelled by curiosity, he went first to Egypt, proceeding as far as Cairo. Next he visited Syrian Aleppo and Damascus, by which time he had mastered enough Arabic to pass as a Moslem. After joining a pilgrimage to Mecca as a Mamluk, he became one of the first Christians who visited the holy Moslem city. He journeyed to Yemen, where he was im-prisoned by the sultan of Sana. Nevertheless, one of his wives helped him escape. He continued his journey to Persia (now Iran), Indian Calicut, Burma (now Myanmar), Malacca, and beyond to Sumatra, Borneo, and the cloveyielding Moluccas. From there he retraced his course to India, where, deciding to return to Christian life and identified himself to the Portuguese. They accepted his services, and he fought in several battles under Viceroy Francisco de Almeida.
About 1507 Varthema sailed for Lisbon with a Portuguese fleet. After returning to Italy, he spent his remaining years in Rome where he died in June 1517. His travel book, Itinerario de Ludovico de Varthema Bolognese …, was published at Rome in 1510.
A native of Bologna, he traveled to the East in 1502 when he was over the age of 30. Propelled by curiosity, he went first to Egypt, proceeding as far as Cairo. Next he visited Syrian Aleppo and Damascus, by which time he had mastered enough Arabic to pass as a Moslem. After joining a pilgrimage to Mecca as a Mamluk, he became one of the first Christians who visited the holy Moslem city. He journeyed to Yemen, where he was im-prisoned by the sultan of Sana. Nevertheless, one of his wives helped him escape. He continued his journey to Persia (now Iran), Indian Calicut, Burma (now Myanmar), Malacca, and beyond to Sumatra, Borneo, and the cloveyielding Moluccas. From there he retraced his course to India, where, deciding to return to Christian life and identified himself to the Portuguese. They accepted his services, and he fought in several battles under Viceroy Francisco de Almeida.
About 1507 Varthema sailed for Lisbon with a Portuguese fleet. After returning to Italy, he spent his remaining years in Rome where he died in June 1517. His travel book, Itinerario de Ludovico de Varthema Bolognese …, was published at Rome in 1510.
