Capitali fiorentini nei primi viaggi verso il Nord America: Giovanni Caboto e Giovanni da Verrazzano

The Florentine contribution – in terms of both men and capital – in the process of expansion pursued by the Iberian States has long been known, as well as their investments in some of the French voyages, notably that of Giovanni da Verrazzano. Recent research has discovered that Florentine merchant-bankers in London provided funding to John Cabot. Therefore it has become clear that the English voyages – previously thought of as an exception – were also part of the same network of transoceanic enterprises organized by the Atlantic European States and financed by Italians.