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126-473: The Medici-Laurentian Atlas , also known simply as the Medici Atlas (and other variants, e.g. "Laurenziano Gaddiano", "Laurentian Portolano", "Atlante Mediceo" or "Laurentian Atlas"), is an anonymous 14th-century set of maps, probably composed by a Genoese cartographer and explicitly dated 1351, although most historians believe it was composed, or at least retouched, later. The atlas is currently held by

252-411: A common storm track . Due to its position between the sea and mountains over 1000 meters high, each neighborhood of Genoa has specific climatic characteristics. The average yearly temperature is around 20 °C (68 °F) during the day and 14 °C (57 °F) at night. In the coldest months, the average temperature is 12 °C (54 °F) during the day and 6 °C (43 °F) at night. In

378-584: A century later, in the 1430s and 1440s. They could simply be purely legendary, possibly of Andalusian Arab origin (e.g. al-Idrisi speaks of an Atlantic island of wild goats (the Cabras) and another of "cormorants", a scavenger bird, possibly the "sea crows" of Corvis Marinis?). But outside their erroneous axis tilt, the Azores do seem clustered with reasonable accuracy on the Medici atlas. One (unproven) possibility

504-704: A city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria , and the sixth-largest city in Italy . In 2023, 558,745 people lived within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 813,626 inhabitants, more than 1.5 million people live in the wider metropolitan area stretching along the Italian Riviera . On the Gulf of Genoa in the Ligurian Sea , Genoa has historically been one of

630-453: A consequence of Atlantic disturbances and storms, bringing humid and warmer air from the sea. Snowfall is sporadic, but does occur almost every year, albeit big amounts in the city centre are rare. Genoa often receives heavy rainfall in autumn from strong convection. Even so, the overall number of precipitation days is quite modest. There are on average 11.57 days annually with thunder, which is more common from May to October than other times of

756-583: A fantasy short story featuring Prester John's realm secretly still ruled by his descendant, "The King Across the Mountains" in Amazing Stories (later republished in The Adventures of Doctor Eszterhazy , 1990 ). In 1988, Tad Williams 's novel The Dragonbone Chair of his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series would use the name Prester John as the name of the recently deceased High King of

882-589: A high office (indeed, presbyter is the origin of the English word priest ). Later accounts of Prester John borrowed heavily from literary texts concerning the East, including the great body of ancient and medieval geographical and travel literature. Details were often lifted from literary and pseudohistorical accounts, such as the tale of Sinbad the Sailor . The Alexander Romance , a fabulous account of Alexander

1008-609: A large portion of the trade of the Byzantine Empire , Tripoli (Libya), the Principality of Antioch , Cilician Armenia , and Egypt. Although Genoa maintained free-trading rights in Egypt and Syria, it lost some of its territorial possessions after Saladin's campaigns in those areas in the late 12th century. The commercial and cultural rivalry of Genoa and Venice was played out through the thirteenth century. Thanks to

1134-499: A legend that the nation would one day rise up and invade Arabia , but they did not place Prester John there. Then in 1306, 30 Ethiopian ambassadors from Emperor Wedem Arad came to Europe, and Prester John was mentioned as the patriarch of their church in a record of their visit. Another description of an African Prester John is in the Mirabilia Descripta of Dominican missionary Jordanus , around 1329. In discussing

1260-412: A long time failed to notice it" (Braudel 1984 p. 157). The Genoese bankers provided the unwieldy Habsburg system with fluid credit and a dependably regular income. In return the less dependable shipments of American silver were rapidly transferred from Seville to Genoa, to provide capital for further ventures. Genoa's trade, however, remained closely dependent on control of Mediterranean sealanes, and

1386-536: A lost Nestorian kingdom existed in the east, or that the Crusader states ' salvation depended on an alliance with an Eastern monarch , was one reason for the numerous Christian ambassadors and missionaries sent to the Mongols. These include Franciscan explorers Giovanni da Pian del Carpine in 1245 and William of Rubruck in 1253. The link between Prester John and Genghis Khan was elaborated upon at this time, as

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1512-628: A member of the 20th-century literary group the Inklings , made Prester John a messianic protector of the Holy Grail in his 1930 novel War in Heaven . Prester John and his kingdom feature in two works by Umberto Eco . The first is the 2000 novel Baudolino , in which the titular protagonist enlists his friends to write the Letter of Prester John for his adoptive father Frederick Barbarossa , but it

1638-597: A possible sea route to India, but also to inquire about Prester John. Covilhã managed to reach Ethiopia. Although well received, he was forbidden to depart. Contact for the purpose of finding allies, such as with Prester John increasingly fueled early European exploration and colonialism. More envoys were sent in 1507, after the island of Socotra was taken by the Portuguese. As a result of this mission, and facing Muslim expansion, regent queen Eleni of Ethiopia sent ambassador Mateus to king Manuel I of Portugal and to

1764-489: A proposal to wed his son and daughter to Genghis Khan's children, the rift between them grew until war broke out in 1203. Genghis Khan captured Sorghaghtani Beki , daughter of Toghrul's brother Jaqa Gambu, and married her to his son Tolui ; they had several children, including Möngke, Kublai , Hulagu , and Ariq Böke . The major characteristic of Prester John tales from this period is the king's portrayal not as an invincible hero, but merely one of many adversaries defeated by

1890-534: A radical transformation of the Fiera di Genova , with the creation of a new dock and an urban park, the continuation of Corso Italia towards Porta Siberia and the construction of residential structures. In 2018, the first planning and study works began for the realization of the Waterfront of Levante project. From 21 April to 6 May 2018, Euroflora 2018 took place, an exhibition of flowers and ornamental plants for

2016-602: A red cross. At the top it is inscribed with 'justice', in this manner. There was also a historiographical tradition claiming that the flag of England was derived from the Genoese flag, which derives from the Knights Templar 's red cross, during the Third Crusade in 1190; however, it cannot be substantiated as historical. The city of Genoa covers an area of 243 square kilometres (94 sq mi) between

2142-418: A request, Prester John denied him in no uncertain terms. In the war that followed, Genghis Khan triumphed, and Prester John perished. The historical figure behind these accounts, Toghrul, was in fact a Nestorian Christian monarch defeated by Genghis Khan. He had fostered the future Khan after the death of his father Yesugei and was one of his early allies, but the two had a falling-out. After Toghrul rejected

2268-547: A sea route to Asia. The imaginary nature of Africa's shape in the Medici map is almost proven by noticing there are no names or details given below Cape Bojador . The great exception is the legendary "River of Gold", the "western Nile" of Arab sources (i.e. the Senegal River , assumed connected to the Niger River , flowing through the heart of the gold-producing Mali Empire ). This is the same Palolus river as in

2394-609: A southern end, i.e. that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans are connected to each other below the African continent. While the remarkable shape of Africa has given rise to speculative theories about ancient sailing and secret voyages, the explanation is probably more mundane. The probable source of the "Guinea bend" is the legend of the Sinus Aethiopicus , the rumor of a gulf that lay somewhere south of Cape Bojador that

2520-741: A wide following in the Eastern nations and engaged the Western imagination as an assemblage both exotic and familiarly Christian. Particularly inspiring were the Church of the East's missionary successes among the Mongols and Turks of Central Asia; French historian René Grousset suggests that the Prester John story may have had its origins in the Kerait clan, which had thousands of its members join

2646-580: Is also known for its narrow lanes and streets that the locals call "caruggi". Genoa is also home to the University of Genoa , which has a history going back to the 15th century, when it was known as Genuense Athenaeum. The city's rich cultural history in art , music and cuisine allowed it to become the 2004 European Capital of Culture . It is the birthplace of Guglielmo Embriaco , Christopher Columbus , Andrea Doria , Niccolò Paganini , Giuseppe Mazzini , Renzo Piano and Grimaldo Canella , founder of

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2772-618: Is articulated in a maze of squares and narrow caruggi (typical Genoese alleys). It joins a medieval dimension with following 16th century and Baroque interventions (the ancient Via Aurea, now Via Garibaldi ). Prester John At first, Prester John was imagined to reside in India. Tales of the Nestorian Christians' evangelistic success there and of Thomas the Apostle 's subcontinental travels as documented in works like

2898-699: Is certain is that German chronicler Otto of Freising reported in his Chronicon of 1145 that the previous year he had met Hugh , bishop of Jabala in Syria, at the court of Pope Eugene III in Viterbo . Hugh was an emissary of Prince Raymond of Antioch , sent to seek Western aid against the Saracens after the Siege of Edessa ; his counsel inspired Eugene to call for the Second Crusade . Hugh told Otto, in

3024-523: Is recorded of Philip, but it is most probable that he did not return with word from Prester John. The Letter continued to circulate, accruing more embellishments with each copy. In modern times, textual analysis of the letter's variant Hebrew versions has suggested an origin among the Jews of northern Italy or Languedoc : several Italian words remained in the Hebrew texts. At any rate, the Letter 's author

3150-732: Is stolen before they can send it out. The second is in Serendipities : Language and Lunacy (1998) on the chapter 'The Force of Falsity' where Eco pronounces that the letter from Prester John "... served as an alibi for the expansion of the Christian world..." In July 1986 issues, Avram Davidson published both a nonfiction essay, "Postscript on Prester John" in Asimov's Science Fiction (part of his "Adventures in Unhistory" series, and later republished in his 1993 book of that title ), and

3276-453: Is that the Azores were indeed discovered, or at least seen from a distance, quite by accident, by the aforementioned 1341 mapping expedition on their return via a long sailing arc ( volta do mar ) from the Canary islands. Genoa Genoa ( / ˈ dʒ ɛ n oʊ ə / JEN -oh-ə ; Italian : Genova [ˈdʒɛːnova] ; Ligurian : Zêna [ˈzeːna] ) is

3402-462: Is the individually named Insula Brasi ("island of embers/fire" (volcanic?) or " dyewood ", either of which point to Terceira , but could also be the legendary Irish Brazil ), then, just west of it, a group called insule de Ventura Sive de Columbis ("islands of venture/winds or the pigeons", three islands, probably São Jorge , Faial and Pico ), and then, furthest north, are a cluster of two islands labelled insule de Corvis Marinis ('islands of

3528-623: Is the oldest known state deposit bank in the world and has played an important role in the city's prosperity since the middle of the 15th century. The historical centre , also known as old town, of Genoa is one of the largest and most-densely populated in Europe. Part of it was also inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006 as Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli . Genoa's historical city centre

3654-510: Is unclear, officially the origin of the legend of Prester John originates from a letter that the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos received in 1165. The sender was: " John, Christian Sovereign and Lord of Lords ". The letter described the very rich lands of this monarch located in central Asia. The king said he lived in an immense palace made of gems and gold and said he governed a huge territory extending from Persia to China. For many years

3780-516: The Acts of Thomas probably provided the first seeds of the legend. After the coming of the Mongols to the Western world, accounts placed the king in Central Asia , and eventually Portuguese explorers came to believe that the term was a reference to Ethiopia , by which time it had been an isolated Christian "exclave" distant from any other Christian-ruled territory. Though its immediate genesis

3906-696: The Romance of Alexander and the above-mentioned Acts of Thomas , the Letter was supposedly written to the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus by Prester John, descendant of one of the Three Magi and King of India. The many marvels of richness and magic it contained captured the imagination of Europeans, and it was translated into numerous languages, including Hebrew . It circulated in ever more embellished form for centuries in manuscripts, examples of which still exist. The invention of printing perpetuated

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4032-615: The Acts of Thomas . This text inculcated in Westerners an image of India as a place of exotic wonders and offered the earliest description of Saint Thomas establishing a Christian sect there, motifs that loomed large over later accounts of Prester John. Similarly, distorted reports of movements in Asia of the Church of the East (Nestorianism) informed the legend as well. This church had gained

4158-783: The Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence , Italy. The author of the Medici-Laurentian atlas is unknown, save that he comes from the Liguria region of Italy (probably Genoese ), and might have composed it for a Florentine owner. The atlas is explicitly dated 1351 (as per its astronomical calendar), but scholars believed it was more likely composed around 1370, possibly from earlier material, and probably amended further later, with emendations as late as 1425–50. A 1370 date would place it in between

4284-716: The Bisagno stream to overflow. In 1987 the Banco di San Giorgio was established. In 1992 Genoa celebrated the Colombiadi or Genoa Expo '92 , the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the American Continent by Christopher Columbus . The area of the ancient port of Genoa is restructured and expanded also with the works of the architect Renzo Piano . The 27th G8 summit , that took place in July 2001,

4410-640: The Council of Florence in 1441, they were confused when (Roman Catholic-led) council prelates insisted to the Ethiopians to refer to themselves as representatives of their monarch Prester John. They tried to explain that nowhere in Zara Yaqob's list of regnal names did that title occur. However, their admonitions did little to stop Europeans from calling the King of Ethiopia Prester John. Some writers who used

4536-601: The Delhi Sultanate and others with reasonable accuracy. The atlas also shows the Caspian as a closed sea (unusual for maps of that time). Among the most startling features is its depiction of the recognizable shape of the continent of Africa with remarkable precision. Nearly a century before the Portuguese Age of Discovery , the Medici atlas draws the bend of the Gulf of Guinea and shows that Africa has

4662-696: The Gothic War , the Byzantines made it the seat of their vicar . When the Lombards invaded Italy in 568, Bishop Honoratus of Milan fled and held his seat in Genoa. During this time and in the following century Genoa was little more than a small centre, slowly building its merchant fleet, which was to become the leading commercial carrier of the Western Mediterranean. In 934–35 the town

4788-572: The House of Grimaldi , among others. Genoa, which forms the southern corner of the Milan-Turin-Genoa industrial triangle of Northwest Italy , is one of the country's major economic centers. A number of leading Italian companies are based in the city, including Fincantieri , Leonardo , Ansaldo Energia , Ansaldo STS , Erg , Piaggio Aerospace , Mediterranean Shipping Company and Costa Cruises . The city's modern name may derive from

4914-587: The House of Savoy , contravening the principle of restoring the legitimate governments and monarchies of the old Republic. In the 19th century, Genoa consolidated its role as a major seaport and an important steel and shipbuilding centre. In Genoa in 1853, Giovanni Ansaldo founded Gio. Ansaldo & C. whose shipyards would build some of the most beautiful ships in the world, such as ARA Garibaldi , SS Roma , MS  Augustus , SS Rex , SS Andrea Doria , SS Cristoforo Colombo , MS Gripsholm , SS Leonardo da Vinci , SS Michelangelo , and SS SeaBreeze . In 1854,

5040-573: The Latin word meaning "knee" ( genu ; plural, genua ) but there are other theories. It could derive from the god Janus , because Genoa, like him, has two faces: a face that looks at the sea and another turned to the mountains. Or it could come from the Latin word ianua , also related to the name of the God Janus, and meaning "door", or "passage." Besides that, it may refer to its geographical position at

5166-614: The Ligurian Sea and the Apennine Mountains . The city stretches along the coast for about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the neighbourhood of Voltri to Nervi, and for 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the coast to the north along the valleys Polcevera and Bisagno . The territory of Genoa is popularly divided into 5 main zones: the centre, the west, the east, the Polcevera and the Bisagno Valley. Although much of

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5292-457: The Madeira archipelago, with their modern names: Porto sto ( Porto Santo ), I. de lo Legname ( Madeira , legname is Ligurian for "wood") and I dexerta ( Desertas ). The Madeira archipelago will not be officially discovered by the Portuguese until c. 1420. These names could have been in the original, or retouched later - although these same names were already given in the Libro del Conoscimiento . The Medici Atlas also seems to show

5418-512: The Pizzigani brothers map of 1367 and the Catalan Atlas of 1375, both of which share elements of the Medici-Laurentian map, although it is impossible to tell exactly if it preceded or followed them. It is also contemporaneous with the Libro del Conoscimiento , a fantastical travelogue by an unknown Castilian author, believed to have been written sometime between 1350 and 1399, with which it shares many significant geographic features. The book's author may have inspired, or have been inspired by,

5544-414: The Pizzigani brothers map of 1367. If one elects to date the Medici Atlas before the Pizzigani, then this is the first European map depicting that all-important river. The Medici Atlas is also important for the history of the north Atlantic islands . It is probably the first map to benefit from the 1341 mapping expedition to the Canary Islands , sponsored by King Afonso IV of Portugal and commanded by

5670-476: The "Genuati" (a group of Ligure peoples), was considered "the emporium of the Ligurians", given its strong commercial character. The "Genoese oppidum" had an alliance with Rome through a foedus aequum (equal pact) in the course of the Second Punic War . The Carthaginians accordingly destroyed it in 209 BC. The town was rebuilt and, after the Carthaginian Wars ended in 146 BC, it received municipal rights. The original castrum then expanded towards

5796-552: The "Third India", Jordanus records a number of fanciful stories about the land and its king, whom he says Europeans call Prester John. After this point, an African location became increasingly popular. This may have resulted from increasing ties between Europe and Africa as 1428 saw the Kings of Aragon and Ethiopia actively negotiating the possibility of a strategic marriage between the two kingdoms. On 7 May 1487, two Portuguese envoys, Pêro da Covilhã and Afonso de Paiva , were sent traveling secretly overland to gather information on

5922-402: The 13th century. Modern scholars find nothing about Prester John or his country in the early material that would make Ethiopia a more suitable identification than any place else, and furthermore, specialists in Ethiopian history have effectively demonstrated that the story was not widely known there until the Portuguese began to circumnavigate around Africa, which is how they reached Ethiopia (via

6048-414: The 2024 European Capital of Sport. On March 7, 2024, Mayor Marco Bucci presented the vision of Genoa 2030, a development and urban renewal plan for Genoa to be completed in 2030. The flag of Genoa is a St. George's Cross , a red cross on a white field. The patron saint of Genoa was Saint Lawrence until at least 958, but the Genoese transferred their allegiance to Saint George (and Saint John

6174-403: The 20th century. William Shakespeare 's 1600 play Much Ado About Nothing contains an early modern reference to the legendary king, as does Tirso de Molina 's El Burlador de Sevilla . In 1910, Scottish novelist and politician John Buchan used the legend in his sixth book, Prester John , to supplement a plot about a Zulu uprising in South Africa. This book is an archetypal example of

6300-414: The Baptist ) at some point during the 11th or 12th century, most likely with the rising popularity of the military saint during the Crusades . Genoa also had a banner displaying a cross since at latest 1218, possibly as early as 1113. But the cross banner was not associated with the saint; indeed, the saint had his own flag, the vexillum beati Georgii (first mentioned 1198), a red flag showing George and

6426-487: The Church of the East shortly after the year 1000. By the 12th century, the Kerait rulers were still following a custom of bearing Christian names, which may have fueled the legend. Additionally, the tradition may have drawn from the shadowy early Christian figure John the Presbyter of Syria , whose existence is first inferred by the ecclesiastical historian and bishop Eusebius of Caesarea based on his reading of earlier church fathers. This man, said in one document to be

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6552-481: The Crusaders and inspired a notion of deliverance from the East. It is possible Otto recorded Hugh's confused report to prevent complacency in the Crusade's European backers – according to his account, no help could be expected from a powerful Eastern king. No more of the tale is recorded until about 1165 when copies of what was likely a forged Letter of Prester John started spreading throughout Europe. An epistolary wonder tale with parallels suggesting its author knew

6678-433: The Florentine Angiolino del Tegghia de Corbizzi and the Genoese Nicoloso da Recco . The expedition is said to have visited thirteen Canary islands (seven major and six minor). The Medici Atlas shows most of the main Canary islands, excellently delineated (if not yet fully named), greatly improving upon the couple in the 1339 Angelino Dulcert map. The Medici Atlas shows also for the first time, and almost correctly placed,

6804-498: The Genoese colony of Caffa was established. The alliance with the restored Byzantine Empire increased the wealth and power of Genoa, and simultaneously decreased Venetian and Pisan commerce. The Byzantine Empire had granted the majority of free trading rights to Genoa. Around the 14th century, Genoa was also credited with the invention of blue jeans . Genoa's jean fabric was a fustian textile of "medium quality and of reasonable cost", very similar to cotton corduroy for which Genoa

6930-415: The Great 's conquests, was especially influential in this regard. The Prester John legend as such began in the early 12th century with reports of visits of an archbishop of India to Constantinople , and of a Patriarch of India to Rome at the time of Pope Callixtus II . These visits, apparently from the Saint Thomas Christians of India, cannot be confirmed, evidence of both being secondhand reports. What

7056-461: The Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea). Czech Franciscan Remedius Prutky asked Emperor Iyasu II about this identification in 1751, and Prutky states that the man was "astonished, and told me that the kings of Abyssinia had never been accustomed to call themselves by this name." In a footnote to this passage, Richard Pankhurst states that this is apparently the first recorded statement by an Ethiopian monarch about this tale, and they were likely unaware of

7182-408: The Medici-Laurentian atlas. The Atlas is currently held by the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence , Italy (Gaddi. Rel. 9). The Medici-Laurentian atlas is composed of eight sheets. The first sheet is an astronomical calendar, the second sheet contains an unusual world map , the third, fourth and fifth sheets compose a typical 14th-century portolan chart (covering Europe, North Africa,

7308-424: The Mediterranean and Black Seas), the sixth, seventh and eighth sheets are specialized charts of the Aegean Sea , Adriatic Sea and Caspian Sea . The second sheet, the world map, is the one that has attracted most attention. If the original date 1351 is true, that would make it the first (extant) map to incorporate the travel reports of Marco Polo and Ibn Batuta . It shows Asia up to India, marking places like

7434-499: The Mongols. But as the Mongol Empire collapsed, Europeans began to shift away from the idea that Prester John had ever really been a Central Asian king. At any rate they had little hope of finding him there, as travel in the region became dangerous without the security the empire had provided. In works such as The Travels of Sir John Mandeville and Historia Trium Regum by John of Hildesheim , Prester John's domain tends to regain its fantastic aspects and finds itself located not on

7560-595: The Municipal Council in 2007. Notable to the city are the Palazzi dei Rolli , included in UNESCO World Heritage Site Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli . The world-famous Strade Nuove are via Garibaldi (Strada Nuova), via Cairoli (Strada Nuovissima) and via Balbi (Strada Balbi). Among the most important palaces are the Palazzo Rosso , Palazzo Bianco , Palazzo Podestà o di Nicolosio Lomellino, Palazzo Reale , Palazzo Angelo Giovanni Spinola , Palazzo Pietro Spinola di San Luca and Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria . Genoa's historic centre

7686-442: The Muslim lands of Egypt to reach it. In the Medici Atlas, the depth of the penetration of the Sinus indeed almost reaches Ethiopia.) As for the southward extension of the East African coast, uncommon for European maps, this was probably drawn from Arab sources, who would have known of the commercial traffic down the Muslim Swahili coast to Sofala . Finally, the connection between the two oceans under South Africa just ratifies

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7812-469: The Nestorian King John, was defeated by the Mongols under Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan made off with Vut's daughter and married her to his son, and their union produced Möngke , the Khan at the time William wrote. According to Marco Polo's Travels , the war between the Prester and Genghis Khan started when Genghis Khan, new ruler of the rebellious Tartars, asked for the hand of Prester John's daughter in marriage. Angered that his lowly vassal would make such

7938-404: The Philippines which he subjugated to the Christian Presidio of Zamboanga . Curiously, Zamboanga's Chavacano Creole language, has Italian vocabulary and cognates. From the 17th century, the Genoese Republic started a period of slow decline, In May 1625 a French-Savoian army briefly laid siege to Genoa. Though it was eventually lifted with the aid of the Spanish , the French would later bombard

8064-429: The Prester became identified with Genghis' foster father, Toghrul , king of the Keraites , given the Jin title Ong Khan Toghrul. Fairly truthful chroniclers and explorers such as Marco Polo , Crusader-historian Jean de Joinville , and the Franciscan voyager Odoric of Pordenone stripped Prester John of much of his otherworldly veneer, portraying him as a more realistic earthly monarch. Odoric places John's land to

8190-443: The Republic of Genoa, in a self proclaimed Corsican Republic in 1755 under the leadership of Pasquale Paoli , son of Giacinto Paoli. The Republic of Genoa continued its slow decline well into the 18th century, losing its last Mediterranean colony, the island fortress of Tabarka , to the Bey of Tunis in 1742. The Convention of Turin of 1742, in which Austria allied with the Kingdom of Sardinia , caused some consternation in

8316-401: The Republic. Consequently, the Republic of Genoa signed a secret treaty with the Bourbon allies of Kingdom of France , Spanish Empire and Kingdom of Naples . On 26 June 1745, the Republic of Genoa declared war on the Kingdom of Sardinia. This decision would prove disastrous for Genoa, which later surrendered to the Austrians in September 1746 and was briefly occupied before a revolt liberated

8442-403: The Seljuks in 1141 planned to reconquer and rebuild Jerusalem. Controversial Soviet historian and ethnologist Lev Gumilev speculated that the much reduced crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Levant resuscitated this legend in order to raise Christian hopes and to persuade European monarchs who had lost interest by that time in getting involved in costly crusades in a distant region that

8568-415: The actual Gulf of Guinea, but more probably it was just a lucky guess and a bit of wishful thinking. (Historian Russell notes that the Portuguese Prince Henry the Navigator was entranced by the legend of the Sinus Aethiopicus , as it held out the prospect of a direct sea route around West Africa to the Christian kingdom of Prester John ( Ethiopian Empire ), avoiding the complications of travelling through

8694-424: The author of two of the Epistles of John , was supposed to have been the teacher of the martyr bishop Papias , who had in turn taught Irenaeus . However, little links this figure, supposedly active in the late first century, to the Prester John legend beyond the name. The title "Prester" is an adaptation of the Greek word "πρεσβύτερος, presbiteros", literally meaning "elder" and used as a title of priests holding

8820-429: The average 2.9 of nights recorded temperatures of ≤0 °C (32 °F) (mainly in January). The coldest temperature ever recorded was −8 °C (18 °F) in February 2012; the highest temperature ever recorded during the day is 38.5 °C (101 °F) in August 2015. Average annual number of days with temperatures of ≥30 °C (86 °F) is about 8, four days in July and August. Average annual temperature of

8946-492: The centre of the Ligurian coastal arch. The Latin name, oppidum Genua , is recorded by Pliny the Elder ( Nat. Hist. 3.48) as part of the Augustean Regio IX Liguria . Another theory traces the name to the Etruscan word Kainua which means "New City", based on an inscription on a pottery sherd reading Kainua , which suggests that the Latin name may be a corruption of an older Etruscan one with an original meaning of "new town". The city's area has been inhabited since

9072-681: The city in May 1684 for its support of Spain during the War of the Reunions . In-between, a plague killed as many as half of the inhabitants of Genoa in 1656–57. In 1729, the Republic of Genoa must cope with the beginning of the Corsica revolution for the independence, first led by Luiggi Giafferi and Giacinto Paoli, which culminated after 26 years of struggles, costly in economic and military terms for

9198-491: The city centre is located at a low elevation, the territory surrounding it is mountainous with undeveloped land usually being in steep terrain. Genoa is adjacent to two popular Ligurian vacation spots: Camogli and Portofino . In the metropolitan area of Genoa lies Aveto Natural Regional Park . Genoa has a Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) in the Köppen climate classification , with plentiful precipitation due to its location on

9324-624: The city two months later. The Republic of Genoa, in a weak state and not capable of suppressing the Corsican struggle for independence, was forced to cede Corsica to France in 1768 Treaty of Versailles . Only a year later, Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica. In 1780, the Confetteria Romanengo was founded in Genoa. The direct intervention of Napoleon (during the Campaigns of 1796 ) and his representatives in Genoa

9450-507: The city was completely connected by railway lines to France and the rest of Italy: Genoa-Turin , Genoa-Ventimiglia , Genoa-Pisa . In 1884 Rinaldo Piaggio founded Piaggio & C. that produced locomotives and railway carriages and then in 1923 began aircraft production. In 1888 the Banca Passadore was established. In 1898 the insurance company called Alleanza Assicurazioni was founded. In 1917 Lloyd Italico insurance company

9576-624: The city. Starting from 2021, the Mayor Marco Bucci and the President of Liguria Giovanni Toti will launch a new plan for the modernization and redevelopment of the entire city of Genoa, which has as its fulcrum Renzo Piano's Levante Waterfront project. From 23 April 2022 to 8 May 2022, Euroflora 2022 took place for the second time at the Nervi Parks. In 2023 Genoa becomes the finish of The Ocean Race . In 2024 Genoa becomes

9702-590: The collapse of the Morandi Bridge and its rapid reconstruction with a new viaduct designed by architect Renzo Piano, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic , facilitated by a redefinition of the implementing rules of public procurement, which has been defined as the Genoa model, they will then give further impetus to the construction of the Levante Waterfront, and other important works for

9828-519: The crusaders, mainly during the siege of Antioch in 1098, when the Genoese fleet blockaded the city while the troops provided support during the siege. In the siege of Jerusalem in 1099 Genoese crossbowmen led by Guglielmo Embriaco acted as support units against the defenders of the city. The Republic's role as a maritime power in the Mediterranean region secured many favorable commercial treaties for Genoese merchants. They came to control

9954-650: The current areas of Santa Maria di Castello and the San Lorenzo promontory. Trade goods included skins, timber, and honey. Goods were moved to and from Genoa's hinterland, including major cities like Tortona and Piacenza . An amphitheater was also found there among other archaeological remains from the Roman period. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , the Ostrogoths occupied Genoa. After

10080-648: The discovery of the Americas for Spain to the Bank of Saint George in Genoa for the relief of taxation on foods. Under the ensuing economic recovery, many aristocratic Genoese families, such as the Balbi, Doria , Grimaldi , Pallavicini , and Serra, amassed tremendous fortunes. According to Felipe Fernandez-Armesto and others, the practices Genoa developed in the Mediterranean (such as chattel slavery) were crucial in

10206-418: The dragon. A depiction of this flag is shown in the Genoese annals under the year 1227. The Genoese flag with the red cross was used alongside this "Saint George's flag", from at least 1218, known as the insignia cruxata comunis Janue ("cross ensign of the commune of Genoa"). The saint's flag was the city's main war flag, but the cross flag was used alongside it in the 1240s. The Saint George 's flag (i.e.

10332-483: The early 20th-century adventure novel , and proved very popular in its day. Throughout the rest of the century, Prester John appeared sporadically in pulp fiction and comics . For example, Marvel Comics has featured " Prester John " in issues of Fantastic Four and Thor . He was a significant supporting character in several issues of the DC Comics fantasy series Arak: Son of Thunder . Charles Williams ,

10458-651: The exploration and exploitation of the New World. Thereafter, Genoa underwent something of an associate of the Spanish Empire , with Genoese bankers, in particular, financing many of the Spanish crown's foreign endeavors from their counting houses in Seville . Fernand Braudel has even called the period 1557 to 1627 the "age of the Genoese", "of a rule that was so discreet and sophisticated that historians for

10584-461: The fantasy world of Osten Ard. He is also mentioned in the Vertigo imprint comic Fables . The first single from American experimental pop band Animal Collective 's 2022 album Time Skiffs is called "Prester John". Various attributed arms have been given to Prester John. The nave of Canterbury Cathedral , which is adorned with heraldic bosses , represents Prester John with Azure ,

10710-667: The ferry company Costa Crociere was founded. In 1861 the Registro Italiano Navale Italian register of shipping was created, and in 1879 the Yacht Club Italiano . The owner Raffaele Rubattino in 1881 was among the founders of the ferry company Navigazione Generale Italiana which then become the Italian Line . In 1870 Banca di Genova was founded which in 1895 changed its name to Credito Italiano and in 1998 became Unicredit . In 1874

10836-411: The fifth or fourth millennium BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In the fifth century BC the first town, or oppidum , was founded probably by the ancient Ligures (which gave the name to the modern region of Liguria ) at the top of the hill today called Castello (Castle), which is now inside the medieval old town. In this period the Genoese town, inhabited by

10962-698: The first time in the Parchi di Nervi venue, rather than in the historic venue of the Fiera di Genova . On 14 August 2018 the Ponte Morandi viaduct bridge for motor vehicles collapsed during a torrential downpour, leading to 43 deaths. The remains of the Ponte Morandi viaduct bridge were demolished in August 2019. The replacement bridge, the Genoa-Saint George Bridge , was inaugurated in August 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic . The tragedy of

11088-404: The flag depicting the saint) remained the main flag of Genoa at least until the 1280s. The flag now known as the "St. George's Cross" seems to have replaced it as Genoa's main flag at some point during the 14th century. The Book of Knowledge of All Kingdoms (c. 1385) shows it, inscribed with the word iustiçia , and described as: And the lord of this place has as his ensign a white pennant with

11214-561: The floods of 2010, 2011 and 2014, with the reconstruction and expansion of the coverage of the Bisagno stream . Furthermore, work began for the completion of the underground stream channel of the Ferreggiano river, which flooded several times in various floods, including the most tragic one in 1970. In 2017, the architect Renzo Piano donated the design of the Levante Waterfront to the Municipality of Genoa; this project involves

11340-559: The kings of Georgia , which, at the time of Crusades, experienced military resurgence challenging the Muslim power. However, this theory, though regarded with certain indulgence by Henry Yule and some modern Georgian historians, was summarily dismissed by Friedrich Zarncke . The connection with Georgia is unlikely, considering that country was Orthodox, rather than Nestorian, and due to the fact that it and its predecessor states Colchis / Lazica and Iberia were well known and documented at

11466-469: The largest naval powers of the continent and considered among the wealthiest cities in the world. It was also nicknamed la Superba ("the proud one") by Petrarch due to its glories on the seas and impressive landmarks. The city has hosted massive shipyards and steelworks since the 19th century, and its solid financial sector dates back to the Middle Ages. The Bank of Saint George , founded in 1407,

11592-411: The letter's popularity in printed form; it was still current in popular culture during the period of European exploration . Part of the letter's essence was that a lost kingdom of Nestorian Christians still existed in the vastness of Central Asia. The credence given to the reports was such that Pope Alexander III sent a letter to Prester John via his physician Philip on September 27, 1177. Nothing more

11718-477: The location of the Azores , being the first to do so. They are depicted northwest of the Madeira group, aligned on a north to south axis, rather than trailing diagonally from northwest to southeast. The islands are not all individually named, but rather named by cluster. Most southerly are the insule de Cabrera ("Goat islands", encompassing two islands, what seem like Santa Maria and São Miguel ), further north

11844-671: The loss of Chios to the Ottoman Empire (1566), struck a severe blow. To help cope, Panama in the Americas was given as concession from the Spanish Empire to Genoa. The Genoese there encountered coconuts from the Philippines which drifted or were planted there by Malay seafarers before Spain came. The Spanish governor of Panama, Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera sailed west from the Americas and used Peruvians, and Genoese from Panama in his conquest of Muslim areas of

11970-630: The major role played by the Republic of Venice in the Fourth Crusade , Venetian trading rights were enforced in the eastern Mediterranean and Venice was able to gain control of a large portion of maritime commerce in the region. To regain control of local commerce, the Republic of Genoa allied with Michael VIII Palaiologos , emperor of Nicaea , who wanted to restore the Byzantine Empire by recapturing Constantinople . In March 1261

12096-561: The most important ports on the Mediterranean : it is currently the busiest in Italy and in the Mediterranean Sea and twelfth-busiest in the European Union . Genoa was the capital of one of the most powerful maritime republics for over seven centuries, from the 11th century to 1797. Particularly from the 12th century to the 15th century, the city played a leading role in the commercial trade in Europe, becoming one of

12222-481: The myth of Prester John was associated with the dream of reaching a sumptuous kingdom, where all material pleasures were fulfilled and people lived in opulence. The legend of Prester John drew strongly from earlier accounts of the Orient and of Westerners' travels there. Particularly influential were the stories of Saint Thomas the Apostle's proselytizing in India, recorded especially in the third-century work known as

12348-525: The new nobility of Sicily. Corsica was formally annexed in 1347. In the 15th century two of the earliest banks in the world were founded in Genoa: the Bank of Saint George , founded in 1407, which was the oldest state deposit bank in the world at its closure in 1805 and the Monte di Pietà of Genoa founded in 1483. Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa c.  1451, and donated one-tenth of his income from

12474-454: The old assumption (from Biblical and Classical authority) that all the world's great water bodies were connected to each other. An Africa surrounded by water is already found on other maps (e.g. Pietro Vesconte 's c. 1320 mappa mundi). Long before the Medici map, the Vivaldi brothers of Genoa, in 1291, had tried to sail down the west African coast, with the explicit objective of trying to find

12600-541: The pair of "Corvis Marinis" are distinguished between Corvis Marinis (Corvo) and Li Conigi ("rabbits", Flores). The anonymous Castilian author of the Libro del Conoscimiento also supplies these names, breaking up the southerly Cabrera group (which the Catalan forgot) into the islands of las cabras ("goats", S. Miguel) and lobo ("seals"? S. Maria). None of the Azores islands will be officially discovered until nearly

12726-615: The pope, in search of a coalition. Mateus reached Portugal via Goa , having returned with a Portuguese embassy, along with priest Francisco Álvares in 1520. Francisco Álvares's book, which included the testimony of Covilhã, the Verdadeira Informação das Terras do Preste João das Indias ("A True Relation of the Lands of Prester John of the Indies") was the first direct account of Ethiopia, greatly increasing European knowledge at

12852-608: The presence of the pope, that Prester John, a Nestorian Christian who served in the dual position of priest and king, had regained the city of Ecbatana from the brother monarchs of Media and Persia, the Samiardi, in a great battle "not many years ago". Afterwards Prester John allegedly set out for Jerusalem to rescue the Holy Land, but the swollen waters of the Tigris compelled him to return to his own country. His fabulous wealth

12978-440: The sea crows', Corvo and Flores ). Only Graciosa seems to be missing. These Azores islands appear with these names in two subsequent Majorcan maps - the 1375 Catalan Atlas and the 1385 map of Guillem Soler , with some more detailed sorting of the groups, e.g. Medici's "Ventura Sive de Columbis" label is broken into three distinct names: "San Zorzo" (" St. George ", S. Jorge), Ventura (Faial) and Li Columbis (Pico); and

13104-536: The sea is 17.5 °C (64 °F), from 13 °C (55 °F) in the period January–March to 25 °C (77 °F) in August. In the period from June to October, the average sea temperature exceeds 19 °C (66 °F). Genoa is also a windy city, especially during winter when northern winds often bring cool air from the Po Valley (usually accompanied by lower temperatures, high pressure and clear skies). Another typical wind blows from southeast , mostly as

13230-679: The steppes of Central Asia, but back in India proper, or some other exotic locale. Wolfram von Eschenbach tied the history of Prester John to the Holy Grail legend in his poem Parzival , in which the Prester is the son of the Grail maiden and the Saracen knight Feirefiz . A theory was put forward by the Russian scholar Ph. Bruun in 1876, who suggested that Prester John might be found among

13356-519: The time were Buddhists , not Christians, and there is no reason to suppose Yelü Dashi was ever called Prester John. However, several vassals of the Qara Khitai practiced Nestorian Christianity, which may have contributed to the legend. It is also possible that the Europeans, who were unfamiliar with Buddhism, assumed that if the leader was not Muslim, he must be Christian. The defeat encouraged

13482-457: The time, as it was presented to the pope, published and quoted by Giovanni Battista Ramusio . By the time Emperor Lebna Dengel and the Portuguese had established diplomatic contact with each other in 1520, Prester John was the name by which Europeans knew the Emperor of Ethiopia . The Ethiopians, though, had never called their emperor that. When ambassadors from Emperor Zara Yaqob attended

13608-481: The time, with Episcopoi of Kartli having regular epistolary conversions with Bishops of Rome. Prester John had been considered the ruler of India since the legend's beginnings, but "India" was a vague concept to the medieval Europeans. Writers often spoke of the " Three Indias ", and lacking any real knowledge of the Indian Ocean they sometimes considered Ethiopia one of the three. Westerners knew that Ethiopia

13734-453: The title did understand it was not an indigenous honorific; for instance Jordanus seems to use it simply because his readers would have been familiar with it, not because he thought it authentic. Ethiopia has been claimed for many years as the origin of the Prester John legend, but most modern experts believe that the legend was simply adapted to fit that nation in the same fashion that it had been projected upon Ong Khan and Central Asia during

13860-469: The title until Prutky's inquiry. The Italian historian Peter Martyr d'Anghiera identified the land of Prester John with Chicora in his Decades of the New World . Francisco de Chicora , a native of what is now South Carolina , who was captured by Spaniards and taken to Spain by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón , had told Anghiera that his land was ruled by priests. Seventeenth-century academics like German orientalist Hiob Ludolf demonstrated that there

13986-643: The treaty of the alliance was signed in Nymphaeum . On 25 July 1261, Nicaean troops under Alexios Strategopoulos recaptured Constantinople. As a result, the balance of favour tipped toward Genoa, which was granted free trade rights in the Nicene Empire. The islands of Chios and Lesbos became commercial stations of Genoa as well as the city of Smyrna (Izmir). In the same century the Republic conquered many settlements in Crimea , known as Gazaria , where

14112-519: The warmest months – July and August – the average temperature is 28 °C (82 °F) during the day and 22 °C (72 °F) at night. The daily temperature range is limited, with an average range of about 6 °C (11 °F) between high and low temperatures. Genoa also sees significant moderation from the sea, in stark contrast to areas behind the Ligurian mountains such as Parma , where summers are hotter and winters are quite cold. Annually,

14238-512: The west of Cathay en route to Europe, and identifies its capital as "Cosan", variously interpreted by translators as a number of names and locations. Joinville describes Genghis Khan in his chronicle as a "wise man" who unites all the Tartar tribes and leads them to victory against their strongest enemy, Prester John. William of Rubruck says a certain "Vut", lord of the Keraites and brother to

14364-540: The year. Annual average relative humidity is 68%, ranging from 63% in February to 73% in May. Sunshine hours total above 2,200 per year, from an average 4 hours of sunshine duration per day in winter to average 9 hours in summer. The Municipal Council of Genoa is currently led by a right-wing majority, elected in June 2022. The city of Genoa is subdivided into nine municipi (administrative districts), as approved by

14490-484: Was thoroughly sacked and burned by a Fatimid fleet under Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Tamimi . Genoa started expanding during the First Crusade . At the time the city had a population of about 10,000. Twelve galleys , one ship and 1,200 soldiers from Genoa joined the crusade. The Genoese troops, led by noblemen de Insula and Avvocato, set sail in July 1097. The Genoese fleet transported and provided naval support to

14616-509: Was a powerful Christian nation, but contact had been sporadic since the rise of Islam. No Prester John was to be found in Asia, so Europeans began to suggest that the legend was a reference to the Christian kingdom of Ethiopia. Evidence has suggested that locating Prester John's kingdom in Ethiopia entered the collective consciousness around 1250. Marco Polo had discussed Ethiopia as a magnificent Christian land and Orthodox Christians had

14742-569: Was annexed by France, becoming the départements of Apennins , Gênes , and Montenotte . Following the fall of Napoleon, Genoa regained ephemeral independence, with the name of the Repubblica genovese , which lasted less than a year. However, the Congress of Vienna established the annexation of the whole territories of the former Genoese Republic to the Kingdom of Sardinia , governed by

14868-686: Was demonstrated by his emerald scepter; his holiness by his descent from the Three Magi . Robert Silverberg connects this account with historic events of 1141, when the Qara Khitai khanate under Yelü Dashi defeated the Seljuk Turks in the Battle of Qatwan , near Samarkand . The Seljuks ruled over Persia at the time and were the most powerful force in the Muslim world; the defeat at Samarkand weakened them substantially. The Qara Khitai at

14994-666: Was famous, and was "used for work clothes in general". The Genoese navy equipped its sailors with jeans, as they needed a fabric which could be worn wet or dry. During the Aragonese–Genoese War , Genoa was besieged and sacked by Guillem de Cervelló. As a result of the Genoese support to the Aragonese rule in Sicily , Genoa was granted free trading and export rights in the Kingdom. Genoese bankers also profited from loans to

15120-485: Was far removed from their own states and affairs. The bishop of Acre was correct in thinking that a great king had conquered Persia; however "King David", as it turned out, was the Tengrist Mongol ruler, Genghis Khan . The Mongol Empire 's rise gave Western Christians the opportunity to visit lands that they had never seen before, and they set out in large numbers along the empire's secure roads. Belief that

15246-541: Was founded. From 1935 to 1940 Torre Piacentini was built in Genoa. It was one of the first skyscrapers built in Europe and, until 1954, the tallest habitable building in Italy. In 1956 Genoa took part in the Regatta of the Historical Marine Republics . In 1962 Genoa International Boat Show was established. In 1966 Euroflora was established. In 1970 Genoa was hit by a serious flood, which caused

15372-589: Was hosted in the city of Genoa; however, it was overshadowed by violent protests ( Anti-globalisation movement ), with one protester killed. In 2003, the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) was established. In 2004, the European Union designated Genoa as the European Capital of Culture for that year, along with the French city of Lille . In 2015, work began to secure the Genoa area, hit by

15498-419: Was most likely a Westerner. In 1221, Jacques de Vitry , Bishop of Acre , returned from the disastrous Fifth Crusade with good news: King David of India, the son or grandson of Prester John, had mobilized his armies against the Saracens. He had already conquered Persia, then under the Khwarazmian Empire 's control, and was moving on towards Baghdad as well. This descendant of the great king who had defeated

15624-424: Was no actual native connection between Prester John and the Ethiopian monarchs, and search for the fabled king gradually ceased. But the legend had affected several hundred years of European and world history, directly and indirectly, by encouraging Europe's explorers, missionaries, scholars, and treasure hunters. The prospect of finding Prester John had long since vanished, but the tales continued to inspire through

15750-415: Was said to penetrate deeply into the African continent. This gulf is described in the fantastical travelogue of the Libro del Conoscimiento (possibly as early as 1350) and finds itself again in the Fra Mauro map (1459), well before it was discovered by Portuguese explorers. The notion that the West African coast did not extend straight south but took a sharp eastward bend, could be a hazy reference to

15876-399: Was the final act that led to the fall of the Republic in early June, who overthrew the old elites which had ruled the state for all of its history, giving birth to the Ligurian Republic on 14 June 1797, under the watchful care of Napoleonic France. After Bonaparte's seizure of power in France, a more conservative constitution was enacted, but the Ligurian Republic's life was short—in 1805 it

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