Habent sua fata libelli. Elcano y la construcción del relato de la primera circunnavegación, una historia apasionante de errores e imprecisiones

Abstract

The figure of Juan Sebastián de Elcano is little and badly known, but it is possible to recover new information that makes his biography intelligible. In 2015 his personal archive was discovered, and in spite of being modest, it is of great value. One of the most important aspects to study about the feat that Elcano accomplished with Magellan is the way in which the story has been transmitted until today and to explore new elements that illustrate the circumstances, forms and contents in which it occurred. It is very important to inquire about the information economy in 1522, about the scholarly and humanist circles that collect the oral testimonies of the survivors and edit them, first in Latin and then in romance. Elcano was ignored in the first published versions of the story (Transilvano, Anghiera, Pigafetta) but the cultural and social context of the moment gives us clues for possible reasons