Some alternative theories have been elaborated; for example, certain French scholars assume that Verrazzano was born in Lyon, France, the son of Alessandro di Bartolommeo da Verrazano and Giovanna Guadagni.

[20] He embarked for the American coast probably in 1508 in the company of captain Thomas Aubert, on the ship La Pensée, equipped by the owner, Jean Ango.

In 1523, the king asked Verrazzano to explore on France's behalf an area between Florida and Newfoundland, intending to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean.

[24] It neared the area of Cape Fear on March 21, 1524[25] and, after a short stay, reached the Pamlico Sound lagoon of modern North Carolina.

In a letter to Francis I, described by historians as the Cèllere Codex, Verrazzano wrote that he was convinced that the Sound was the beginning of the Pacific Ocean from which access could be gained to China.

Verrazzano named the region that he explored Francesca in honour of the French king, but his brother's map labelled it Nova Gallia (New France).

In the process, he has uncovered important, hitherto unknown iconographic aspects that shed new light on Verrazzano and his connection to Leonardo da Vinci evidence.

[32][clarification needed] Verrazzano arranged a second voyage, with financial support from Jean Ango and Philippe de Chabot, which departed from Dieppe with four ships early in 1527.

In one version, during his third voyage to North America in 1528, after he had explored Florida, the Bahamas, and the Lesser Antilles, Verrazzano anchored out to sea and rowed ashore, probably on the island of Guadeloupe.

[36] However, older historical accounts suggest that Verrazzano was the same person as the corsair Jean Fleury, who was executed for piracy by the Spanish at Puerto del Pico, Spain.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a great debate in the United States about the authenticity of the letters that he wrote to Francis I to describe the geography, flora, fauna, and native population of the east coast of North America.

[44]In Commemoration of Verrazzano's Voyage to America erected by the Delaware Commission on Italian Heritage and Culture 2008[52] A native of Val Di Greve in the Tuscany region of Italy, he studied navigation as a young man and became a master mariner.

Traveling in a small ship known as the Dauphine, he explored coastal areas from the present-day State of North Carolina to Canada, observing the natural abundance of the land and the vibrant culture of its native peoples.