André Thévet

André Thevet, OFM (; ; 1516 – 23 November 1590) was a French Franciscan priest, explorer, cosmographer and writer who travelled to the Near East and South America. His most significant book was The New Found World, or Antarctike, which compiled a number of different sources and his own experience into what purported to be a firsthand account of his experiences in France Antarctique, a French settlement near modern Rio de Janeiro.

Life

Very little is known about the early life of Thevet. He was born about 1516 in Angoulême, France, the son of Etienne Thevet, a barber-surgeon.

With the patronage of Cardinal Jean de Lorraine, Thevet embarked on an extended exploration of the Levant, sailing from Venice in June 1549. In November 1549 he toured Constantinople with the Genoese ambassador. Then Thevet joined French naturalist Pierre Gilles to search for antiquities in Istanbul, Rhodes, Athens and Alexandria. He also traveled to Lebanon, Arabia, and Malta before returning home. Thevet arrived at the colony on 10 November 1555, but only stayed for about 10 weeks before returning to France. Although purportedly based on his own firsthand experiences, Thevet also used previous published sources, as well as verbal accounts from other explorers and sailors and from indigenous Canadians who had been brought back to France. The text also includes an account of cannibalism that was one of the influences on Montaigne's essay on cannibalism. (in English in 1568 as The New found vvorlde, or Antarctike) 1575 La Cosmographie Universelle d'Andre Thevet Cosmographe dv Roy. Illvstree de diverses figvres des choses plvs remarqvables veves par l'auteur, & incogneues de noz anciens & modernes, Paris, Pierre l'Huilier. (Google Books: volume 1, volume 2) 1584 Les vrais pourtraits et vies des hommes illustres grecz, latins et payens (Gallica link) MS: Grand Insulaire, MS Histoire de deux voyagesSee also Antarctic France Old Tupi