Ephemeris

In October 2020, the President of the Chilean Republic, Sebastián Piñera, inaugurated the “Circumnavigation” monument in Punta Arenas to honor the fifth centenary of the landfall of the Magellan expedition in the waters of the strait that received his name. This sculpture was made by the Chilean artist Francisco Gazitúa. It is an armillary sphere inside which is a representation of the Nao Victoria sailing west and with its main mast in the position that the axis of the earth would go. The mast, like the axis of the earth, is tilted 23 degrees. The lights of the work represent the constellation of Orion, which was part of the mythology of the Selknam people.

In the words of its author FRANCISCO GAZITUA:

“The sculpture is a metaphor for the globe.
The heart of this sculpture represents a ship: Nao Victoria
The main mast of this ship tilts 23 degrees to the axis of the earth.
The bow of the ship points towards the sky at night, pointing out two southern galaxies, which are baptized with the name: Magellanic Clouds
The horizontal circle shows the itinerary of the circumnavigation voyage with a fixed course to the west, illuminated by a single truth: The roundness of the earth.
The vertical circle is a symbol of the meeting, point of arrival of the first migrations, more than 10,000 years ago, the first nation and all subsequent ones.
In addition to being a monument-tribute to navigation and its repercussions on science, it is also a monument to geology and glaciations, to the process as South American Land, allowed the passage between the oceans and the glaciers that opened the second section of this bi-oceanic corridor, more than 10,000 years ago

The Color of the monument is that of the Lengas in autumn, which are the emblematic tree of Patagonia.

The illumination of the monument follows the order of the Orion constellation, sacred to the Celknam people”

 As authors, Francisco together with the architect Marcial Cortes-Monroy, in very difficult pandemic conditions and tight deadlines, formed a team and together they managed to forge and cut 18 tons of steel, and then join them with about 1,500 meters of welding. For this, they had 80 specialists from different trades: Night merchants of sheet steel and profiles, blacksmiths, tracers, architects, designers, welders, engineers, transporters, mountain and road, merchant mariners, negotiators before the truckers' strike, and suppliers of oxygen for cutting and welding, (at that time intended for hospitals), crane operators, ship painters and warehousemen, ironmongers, maintenance mechanics for our machines and equipment, technical draftsmen, bench mechanics, soil mechanics and excavators , lenders and accountants.

6th of march

After arriving at Cabo Deseado, and with two ships less in the fleet, the three ships Concepcion, Trinidad and Victoria cross the Pacific on an endless journey until they find land. It is March 6, 1521 when, after three months and twenty days of hunger and illness, according to Pigafetta, they arrive at an inhabited island: Guam.

This island is located south of the current Mariana Islands. And there the native language that our navigators knew is still preserved: the Chamorro, and in which we can find some words in Spanish.

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March 31st

 

 

 

March 31, 1520
They arrived at Puerto San Julián, in southern Patagonia, to spend the harsh winter.
They could not find the dream strait, so the captains Juan de Cartagena, Antonio de Coca, Gaspar Quesada and Luis de Mendoza revolted.
Elcano himself was with the rebels and Magellan treated them harshly.

One year later, March 31, 1521
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Our Lord was celebrated on Earth, it is probable that Pigafetta refers to the Island of Mazúa or Limasawa, and this, according to the story, was thanks to “the good friendship that had been born between our captain general and the king of that island.