Asia through the Eyes of a Medieval Dominican Friar: Galvaneus Flamma’s Cumulative Reuse of Geographical Sources

Abstract

The third book of Galvaneus’s Cronica universalis contains an extensive geographical digression, which makes use of three kinds of sources: encyclopedic material, rather recent travel accounts (the ones by Marco Polo, Odoric of Pordenone, John of Pian di Carpine, John of Montecorvino and by a mysterious Dominican friar called Simon) and, most likely, oral testimonies. This article examines Galvaneus’s re-use of geographical sources, by reproducing and analyzing selected passages of the book (displayed both in Latin and in English translation). The purpose is to shed light on Galvaneus’s working method, on his knowledge of the world, and on the role he played in the survival of lesser-known or unknown texts.