• The unpublished work promoted by the municipality of Punta Arenas, the Cruz del Sur Lions Club Rehabilitation Corporation and BluRiver, is the sixth book in the 500 Years collection.

Friday, November 27, 2020.– The collaborative work promoted by the municipality of Punta Arenas, the Cruz del Sur Lions Club Rehabilitation Corporation, and BluRiver came to completion this morning, with the presentation of the book “Magellan and Elcano’s First Voyage Around the World”, the only children’s work that is part of the 500 Years Collection.

“Today we are presenting to the community a luxury book, where the main characters are the children from the Special School of the Rehabilitation Center, who were the precursors of this work. This is how Magallanes is built, so we are very pleased and proud of this book that adorns the 500 Years Collection”, commented Punta Arenas Mayor, Claudio Radonich.

The unpublished text, written by Rosamaria Solar, narrates the odyssey of Ferdinand Magellan, placing special emphasis on the disability suffered by the Portuguese navigator.

“For us, the 500 years of the strait’s crossing is significant, as Magellanians, and also for the institution we represent, considering that Ferdinand Magellan was a person with a disability, and despite his own physical limitations he was able to accomplish a feat recognized worldwide and that changed the perception of the world in that era”, stated the Executive Director of the Rehabilitation Corporation Cruz del Sur, Asterio Andrade.

An important role in the realization and financing of this children’s book was played by the BluRiver company. Its manager, Ignacio Covacevich, highlighted: “this is a work that reflects our identity very well. We are a company where many Magellanians work. For us to be here at the Rehabilitation Center is tremendous pride, and also to commemorate the 500 years since the discovery of the strait, is a milestone in history. It is a complete project, in the sense that it has many facets and all of them do work that can only lead to success. So we are proud and happy with the work that was done, and delighted to have supported this initiative”.

This text for children between 8 and 12 years old features 24 text illustrations inspired by the work of the small students from the Special School of the Rehabilitation Center.

The Magellanian designer, Dušan Matulić, was in charge of translating them into the text, and explained: “I am very happy and grateful for the opportunity, and I hope that this book will serve to learn about history, the feat of Magellan and Elcano, told from a Magellanian perspective”.

Regarding expectations for this book, the author, Rosamaria Solar, stated: “I hope that this book will be incorporated as reading material in schools throughout the Region and that it reaches other areas, that they know our vision of this great event”.

Likewise, the regional writer added that next Monday, November 30, the book will be presented at the Guadalajara Book Fair.

“Magellan and Elcano’s First Voyage Around the World” is the sixth work in the collection of books with which the municipality of Punta Arenas and the editorial committee made up of La Prensa Austral and the University of Magallanes, commemorate the 500 years since the discovery of the Strait of Magellan, and can be downloaded for free on the pages www.puntaarenas.cl and www.magallanes500years.cl