Giovanni Caboto

Thursday, March 23, 2023

It is likely that Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), son of a merchant, was born around 1455 in Genoa where he spent some time as a boy. By 1461, Cabot was living in Venice, where he became a citizen. In about 1482, he married a Venetian woman, Mattea, and they had three sons: Ludovico, Sebastiano and Sancio. Then around 1490, Cabot and his family moved to Valencia in Spain. Neither Portugal nor Spain was interested in John Cabot. As a result, Cabot turned in 1494 or 1495 to

England - to the merchants of the port of Bristol where he settled with his family, and to the king, Henry VII. In England, Cabot received the backing he had been refused in Spain and Portugal. In 1497, Cabot sailed from Bristol. He discovered Cape Breton Island (Newfoundland), traveled through part of Nova Scotia and southward along the American continent. Whatever Cabot did was in the name of the English Crown. (Source: www.heritage.nf.ca)

Back to previous page

The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.