Pedro Serrano
Encyclopedia
Pedro Luis Serrano was a Spanish
sailor who was supposed to have been marooned
for seven or eight years in the sixteenth century on a small desert island
. Details of the story differ, but the most common version has him shipwrecked on a small island in the Caribbean
off the coast of Nicaragua
in 1520s. He had no access to fresh water and lived off the blood and flesh of sea turtles and birds and was insane by the time he was rescued.
According to Lisa Voigt, the tale of Serrano is loosely based on the historical case of "Maestre Joan", who stranded on cay of what is now named Serrana Bank
in 1528, and was rescued eight years later.
The name Serrana Bank first appears on a Dutch
map of 1545. Other versions place the events in the Pacific off the coast of Peru
as late as the 1540s. There is some doubt about the historicity of the tale. The earliest known source is Garcilaso de la Vega's
Commentarios (1609).
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
sailor who was supposed to have been marooned
Castaway
A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade their captors or the world in general. Alternatively, a person or item can be cast away, meaning rejected or discarded...
for seven or eight years in the sixteenth century on a small desert island
Desert island
A desert island or uninhabited island is an island that has yet to be populated by humans. Uninhabited islands are often used in movies or stories about shipwrecked people, and are also used as stereotypes for the idea of "paradise". Some uninhabited islands are protected as nature reserves and...
. Details of the story differ, but the most common version has him shipwrecked on a small island in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
off the coast of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
in 1520s. He had no access to fresh water and lived off the blood and flesh of sea turtles and birds and was insane by the time he was rescued.
According to Lisa Voigt, the tale of Serrano is loosely based on the historical case of "Maestre Joan", who stranded on cay of what is now named Serrana Bank
Serrana Bank
The Serrana Bank is one of the few atolls in the Atlantic Ocean. Its mostly underwater reef of about 50 km long and 13 km wide has six cays or islets, the most prominent of which is Southwest Cay.The cays from south to north are:...
in 1528, and was rescued eight years later.
The name Serrana Bank first appears on a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
map of 1545. Other versions place the events in the Pacific off the coast of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
as late as the 1540s. There is some doubt about the historicity of the tale. The earliest known source is Garcilaso de la Vega's
Inca Garcilaso de la Vega
Garcilaso de la Vega , born Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, was a historian and writer from the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. The son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca noblewoman, he is recognized primarily for his contributions to Inca history, culture, and society...
Commentarios (1609).