User:Thespicyhistorian/Giacomo di Bernazzini

Giacomo di Bernazzini (1431-1494), given name Giacomo Risso Francisco Bianchi, was an Italian explorer who ventured all across the world by his instigation of the salt and spice trade, especially between Italy and the New World in the new age of exploration. His expeditions influenced the likes of famous explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan. He is a symbol of exploration and innovation in his homeland of Italy, in the midst of many a controversy.

Early Life
Born to an affluent aristocratic family, Bianchi was born into the small, relatively unknown rural town of Bernazzini, while his mother and father were en route to Florence. He was educated at home and became interested in cartography when his father showed him a map of the world. He then settled to become a world traveler, recruiting shipbuilders and men to accompany him on his grand journey, all financed by his large inherited fortune.

Personal Life
Bianchi met his wife, Lucia Barnadi Giordano, in Florence, at a restaurant near the Palazzo Vecchio, where he was paying a brief visit before setting off once again. They married and had two daughters, Alessandra and Bianca, and traveled together until Bianchi's retirement in 1486, due to health reasons.

Death and Legacy
On his last expedition, Bianchi became ill with pneumonia and started having complications breathing, forcing him to retire in 1486. In 1494, he died, survived by his wife and children.

His writings and journals were all destroyed in a devastating fire of his estate. Fortunately, his family was left unharmed, and his wife managed to salvage one of his journals. After the fire, his surviving family moved to Venice.