André Thévet

André Thevet (* 1516 in Angoulême, † November 23, 1590 in Paris) was a French explorer and writer.

Life

With ten years he was admitted to the Franciscan convent Angoulêmes. From religious feelings or not much moved, he studied the literature of his time. Thevet undertook the same time as Guillaume Rondelet ( 1539) a trip to Italy. On many trips, he then fulfilled a variety of orders of his patron and protector of Francis I, the La Rochefoucauld family and Guise.

At Piacenza, he became friends with Cardinal Jean de Lorraine and undertook with the financial support from June 1549 trip to the Levant. He visited Crete and the Aegean Islands and spent, as of November 1549 a good year in Constantinople Opel. There, he meets the scientific and political mission of Count Gabriel de Lütz ( d' Armaont ). Possibly Thévet has operated in this period as a spy for the French crown, and others. Until Alexandria accompanied by Pierre Gilles, he left Constantinople Opel towards Egypt on Rhodes and Athens and then traveled to Palestine. In early May 1552, he left Jerusalem and returned on Cyprus, Rhodes and Sicily back to France. After his return, he wrote with the help of assistants, a report on its journey under the title " Cosmographie du Levant " (Lyon, 1554 ).

1555/56 he takes as a pastor ( AUMONIER ) in the expedition of Vice - Admiral Villegagnon with the aim Brazil part. The expedition was to reach the French colonization of Brazil, but ended up as a de facto research expedition without far-reaching political consequences. You can reach the Bay of Guanabara (Rio de Janeiro) on 10 November 1555 Thevet could not disembark ill and was taken to the next ship ten weeks later, the end of January 1556 back to France.

He wrote one of the earliest travel reports on Brazil, Les singularités de la France antarctique ( 1557). The descriptions contained in the Tupinamba Indians, of the fauna and flora of Brazil, local minerals, pottery and weapons that André Thevet had collected in the course of the journey, have made ( despite some blunders and credible " sensationalism " ) story, described among other things, he was the first researcher to cassava, pineapple, peanut and tobacco (the first description here between him and Jean Nicot is disputed). , also the big Macaw, the sloth and the Tapir

Thevet outstanding illustrated travel reports were a great success. He was confessor ( AUMONIER ) by Catherine of Medici, Royal geographer of four French kings and received other items. He was, inter alia, for the royal cabinet of curiosities ( ethnology and natural history museum) responsible in Fontainebleau.

He is with his work " Les vies des hommes et Vrais pourtraits illustrious en huit volumes" for biographers.

• Cosmographie de Levant, 1554th
• Les singularitez de la France antarctique, autrement nommée Amérique et de plusieurs de terres et isles découvertes nostre system, 1557.
• La Cosmographie universal d' André Thevet, illustrée de diverses figures des choses plus par l' auteur remarquables veuës, 1575th
• Les vies des hommes et Vrais pourtraits illustrious grecz, latins et Payens, recueilliz de leurs tableaux, livres, médalles antiques et modernes, 1584.
• Bogliolo Bruna, Giulia, introduzione, traduzione e delle note singolarità della Francia Antarctica di André Thevet, Reggio Emilia, Diabasis, 247 p. , 1997.