Amerigo Vespucci and the stolen achievement of Christopher Columbus

Relying on their scientists Spanish monarchs made a mistake. Contract with Columbus was signed by them in 1492. Who could have known then that there was a huge continent in the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and Asia. Ferdinand''s ignorance played a cruel joke with him. The traveler outwitted him. Later the king explained that although he believed in the spherical shape of the Earth he had no idea about its true size. After all in this matter he listened to the opinion not only of his scientists but also took into account the reports of the Florentine scientist Toscanelli. This can be believed because Toscanelli had the reputation of a brilliant scientist of that century. By the time his map appeared in Europe in 1474 none of the leading scientists doubted the sphericity of the Earth. And those who believed in it understood that on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean should be located Asia.