Alonzo de Santa Cruz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alonzo de Santa Cruz
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Sketch of Alonso de Santa Cruz, from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
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| Born | 1505 |
| Died | 1567 |
| Known for | First map of magnetic variations from true north, new nautical instruments |
| Children | Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Cartography, astronomy, cosmography, history, education, scientific instruments, navigation |
Alonzo de Santa Cruz (1505 – 1567) was a very important Spanish mapmaker, instrument designer, historian, and teacher. He was born around 1505 in Seville and passed away in Madrid in 1567. He created many maps and tools that helped explorers and sailors during a time of great discovery.
Alonzo de Santa Cruz was a famous mapmaker for the Spanish government. He worked for the Consejo de Indias (Council of the Indies), which managed Spain's colonies. He was also a cosmographer at the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade). This was a special office that controlled trade with the New World. At the House of Trade, he helped create the Padrón Real, which was Spain's official master map of all new discoveries.
What is Cosmography?
Alonzo de Santa Cruz explained cosmography as "painting the Earth." He said that "graphia" means painting and "cosmos" means world. So, cosmography was like making a picture of the world.
Important Discoveries and Inventions
In 1530, Alonzo de Santa Cruz made the first map that showed how much a compass needle points away from true north. This difference is called magnetic variation. He thought this map would help sailors find their exact longitude (their east-west position).
Alonzo de Santa Cruz also designed new tools for sailing. He was very interested in better ways to navigate ships. He wrote about a method used by John Cabot to find longitude. This method used the sun's position, measured with a tool called a quadrant.
Teacher and Historian
Alonzo also taught astronomy and cosmography at the court of Emperor Charles V. He later wrote a five-volume biography about Charles V. This book described some of the difficult events that happened in the New World. Charles V's son, King Philip II, was not pleased with some parts of the book. Because of this, Philip II had three chapters removed from the biography.
Alonzo de Santa Cruz also created the Islario general de todas las islas del mundo (General Atlas of All the Islands of the World). This was a large map and document describing the world's islands. He made it in 1542 at the request of King Philip II. He also continued the historical work of Hernando del Pulgar, which was called History of the Catholic Monarchs.
See also
In Spanish: Alonso de Santa Cruz para niños
