Explorers from Italy

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Italians Explorers of all time. This list of famous Italians Explorers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Italians Explorers.

1. #1

   

   Marco Polo

   1254 - 1324

   HPI 96.21180 langs

   Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant and explorer who traveled to China in the 13th century. He is most famous for his accounts of his...Read moreShow less

   Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant and explorer who traveled to China in the 13th century. He is most famous for his accounts of his travels, which were published in the book "The Travels of Marco Polo."

2. #2

   

   Christopher Columbus

   1451 - 1506

   HPI 94.91208 langs

   Christopher Columbus is most famous for discovering the Americas in 1492.

3. #3

   

   Amerigo Vespucci

   1454 - 1512

   HPI 86.55105 langs

   Amerigo Vespucci is most famous for being the first person to realize that the continents of South America and North America were not...Read moreShow less

   Amerigo Vespucci is most famous for being the first person to realize that the continents of South America and North America were not connected, but were in fact two separate continents.

4. #4

   

   John Cabot

   1450 - 1498

   HPI 74.6968 langs

   John Cabot was an explorer who was most famous for being the first European to explore the North American coast and for claiming...Read moreShow less

   John Cabot was an explorer who was most famous for being the first European to explore the North American coast and for claiming Newfoundland for England.

5. #5

   

   Giovanni Battista Belzoni

   1778 - 1823

   HPI 72.4644 langs

   Giovanni Battista Belzoni was a 19th-century Italian explorer and pioneer in Egyptology. He discovered the tomb of Seti I and other temples,...Read moreShow less

   Giovanni Battista Belzoni was a 19th-century Italian explorer and pioneer in Egyptology. He discovered the tomb of Seti I and other temples, and his work was published in his book Narrative of the Operations and Recent Discoveries within the Pyramids, Temples, Tombs and Excavations in Egypt and Nubia.

6. #6

   

   Giovanni da Verrazzano

   1485 - 1528

   HPI 71.9450 langs

   Giovanni da Verrazzano is most famous for being the first European to explore the Atlantic Coast of North America.

7. #7

   

   Sebastian Cabot

   1484 - 1557

   HPI 68.1932 langs

   Sebastian Cabot is most famous for being a navigator and explorer for England. He was the first person to map the North American coast and...Read moreShow less

   Sebastian Cabot is most famous for being a navigator and explorer for England. He was the first person to map the North American coast and explore Canada.

8. #8

   

   Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza

   1852 - 1905

   HPI 68.1744 langs

   Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza was a French explorer who was most famous for exploring the Congo River in Africa.

9. #9

   

   Bartholomew Columbus

   1460 - 1515

   HPI 67.4530 langs

   Italian explorer (c. 1461 – 1515)

10. #10

    

    Alvise Cadamosto

    1432 - 1488

    HPI 66.5628 langs

    explorer