The Renaissance represents a moment of great economic and cultural prosperity in Europe. Its epicenter is Florence, where intellectuals developed a new conception of Man, re-evaluating human nature and earthly values in harmony with the objectives of the Medici Signoria. Driven by powerful Florentine bankers and patrons, commercial and architectural activities flourished, bringing new energy to literature, history, and the arts. Classical culture was rediscovered and appreciated with a renewed philological approach.

Colonial expansions broadened the horizon of the European world, shifting the center of trade from the Mediterranean toward the Atlantic Ocean. Florentine Renaissance culture experienced its first crisis after the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent (1492), followed by the medieval-style theocratic model of the Republic established by G. Savonarola, which lasted well beyond his execution by fire in 1498.

Between the 15th and 16th centuries, ocean crossings became possible thanks to technological advancements in shipbuilding. The “Delfina,” the vessel with which Verrazzano reached the American east coast, was a carrack— a three- or four-masted sailing ship adopted in the Mediterranean in the 1400s. Its essential design was created by the Genoese who, unlike the Venetians, preferred large open-sea ships for their trade routes.

Wide enough to face rough seas and spacious enough to carry provisions, it was the first type of ship in Europe designed specifically for ocean navigation.

Livorno, Impruneta, Monte Morello, Careggi, Orto dei Rucellai, S. Gallo, Vallombrosa, Annunziata—these are only some of the Tuscan place names that Verrazzano assigned to parts of the territories he explored. Unfortunately, many of them soon disappeared, overshadowed by the dominant Spanish and Portuguese cartography.

Here are the names the Florentine navigator attributed to the coastal regions according to an established reconstruction:

Selva dei Lauri (South Carolina)
L’Annunziata (North Carolina)
Arcadia (Washington DC)
Vendoma (Delaware)
Bay of St. Margherita Angolemme (New York)
Rifugio (Connecticut)
Land of Bad People (Massachusetts)
Land of the Bretons (Nova Scotia)

“They are brown in color, not very different from the Ethiopians. They have thick black hair, not very long […] They are well proportioned, of medium height, sometimes taller than us, with broad chests, strong arms, well-shaped legs, and other well-built parts of the body. They have large black eyes, with an alert and lively gaze. They are not endowed with great physical strength, but they are sharp-minded, agile runners, and very resistant […] They are very generous. They are willing to give everything they have. We formed a strong friendship with them.”
(G. da Verrazzano, letter to Francis I, King of France, July 1524)

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York is one of the greatest tributes dedicated to the Florentine navigator. Designed by O. H. Amman, already famous for the Golden Gate in San Francisco, it was inaugurated on November 21, 1964, and bears the 15th-century spelling of the name “Verrazano” with a single “z.”

On April 17, 1963, three stones taken from the foundations of the Verrazzano Castle were embedded at the entrance of the bridge’s viaduct. On the same day, three stones taken from the foundations of the New York bridge were placed on the facade of the villa at the Castle.

The discovery of the New World brought about a revolution in the diet of the Old Continent, contributing to the introduction of numerous products that have become true pillars of European cuisine. Initially traded mostly for ornamental purposes—such as tomatoes—or used as animal fodder, like corn, they eventually transformed European eating habits.

Among the most important we can recall cocoa, potatoes, beans, peppers, squash, vanilla, pineapple, and turkey meat.