An analysis of the maps of the first passage around the world is undoubtedly an essential objective in explaining knowledge about newly discovered land. These maps are one of the greatest demonstrations of the visual communication of the era. Methodology: With this objective, this article seeks to provide an analysis of 16 th -century world maps related to the circumnavigation by Magellan and Elcano and produced by the cartographers of the Casa de Contratación de Sevilla ["House of RLCS,

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... Latina de Comunicación Social, 74 -Pages 637 to 652 [Research] | Trade of Seville"], paying special attention to the differences between maps produced before and after the journey. The technique used is content analysis. Results and conclusions: The differences between maps appear in contextual elements, such as the presence of titles and production dates inserted in the maps and ordinal semiotic elements. However, it should be noted that this analysis does not include the design of the maps or the reliability of their representation.