Francisco Serrão was a Portuguese explorer and navigator who is credited with being the first European to reach the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, in 1512. He was born in the Portuguese city of Lisbon in 1450 and was the son of a wealthy merchant. He was educated in the arts and sciences, and was a skilled navigator and cartographer.
Serrão first set sail in 1490, when he joined a fleet of ships led by the explorer Bartolomeu Dias. The fleet was sent to explore the African coast, and Serrão was part of the crew that mapped the coast of what is now Angola. After the expedition, Serrão returned to Lisbon and was appointed as a royal cartographer.
In 1511, Serrão was chosen to join the expedition of Portuguese explorer Afonso de Albuquerque. The goal of the expedition was to find a route to the Moluccas, which were known to be the source of valuable spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and mace. The expedition set sail from Lisbon in 1511 and arrived in the Moluccas in 1512. Serrão was the first European to reach the islands, and he was given the title of “Admiral of the Moluccas” by Albuquerque.
Serrão spent the next few years exploring the islands and mapping the region. He also established trading posts and forts in the area, and helped to spread Christianity among the local population. He also wrote extensively about his travels, and his writings were later published in a book called “The Voyage of Francisco Serrão”.
In 1515, Serrão returned to Lisbon and was appointed as the governor of the Moluccas. He was tasked with establishing Portuguese control over the islands, and he was successful in doing so. He also helped to establish a trading network between the Moluccas and Portugal, which allowed the Portuguese to gain access to valuable spices.
Serrão died in 1521, and his legacy lives on in the form of his writings and maps. He is remembered as one of the most important explorers of the Age of Discovery, and his contributions to the exploration and mapping of the Moluccas are still remembered today.