Episode 4
The quest for traces of the fabled voyages of a 14th century Venetian merchant leads to Newfoundland. Did he reach North America a full century before Columbus? Read by Sam Dale.
By Andrea di Robilant.
Read by Sam Dale.
In the fourteenth century, so the story goes, two merchant brothers set out from Venice on a journey through the rough seas of the North Atlantic, encountering warrior princes and fighting savage natives on distant shores.
Their adventures - printed as a small book and beautifully detailed map in 1558 by an enthusiastic ancestor - were celebrated throughout Europe until, in 1835, the story was denounced as a 'tissue of lies' and the Zens faded into oblivion.
Intrigued by the myth, the writer Andrea di Robilant set out on a personal journey to see what traces remain of these fabled voyages. In this episode his quest reaches the shores of Newfoundland and prompts the question: did Antonio Zen arrive in North America a full century before Columbus?
Abridged by Laurence Wareing.
Last on
Broadcasts
- Thu 31 Mar 2011 09:45大象传媒 Radio 4 FM
- Fri 1 Apr 2011 00:30大象传媒 Radio 4
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