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Irresistible North: From Venice to Greenland on the Trail of the Zen Brothers
From the author of A Venetian Affair and Lucia comes a charming odyssey in the path of the mysterious Zen brothers, who explored parts of the New World a century before Columbus, and became both a source of scandal and a cause célèbre among geographers in the following centuries.
This delightful journey begins with Andrea di Robilant’s serendipitous discovery of a travel narrative published in Venice in 1558 by the Renaissance statesman Nicolò Zen: the text and its fascinating nautical map re-created the travels of two of the author’s ancestors, brothers who explored the North Atlantic in the 1380s and 1390s. Di Robilant set out to discover why later, in the nineteenth century, the Zens’ account came under attack as one of the greatest frauds in geographical history. Was their map—and even their journey—partially or perhaps entirely faked?
In Irresistible North the author follows the Zens’ route from the Faeroes to Shetland to Iceland and Greenland, greeted by characters who help unravel the enigmas in the Zens’ account. The medieval world comes to life as di Robilant guides us through a landscape enlivened by the ghosts of power-hungry earls and bishops of the old Norwegian realm and magical tales of hot springs and smoking mountains. In this rich telling—an original work of history and a travel book in one—the magnetism of the north draws us in as powerfully as it drew the Zen brothers more than six centuries ago.
This delightful journey begins with Andrea di Robilant’s serendipitous discovery of a travel narrative published in Venice in 1558 by the Renaissance statesman Nicolò Zen: the text and its fascinating nautical map re-created the travels of two of the author’s ancestors, brothers who explored the North Atlantic in the 1380s and 1390s. Di Robilant set out to discover why later, in the nineteenth century, the Zens’ account came under attack as one of the greatest frauds in geographical history. Was their map—and even their journey—partially or perhaps entirely faked?
In Irresistible North the author follows the Zens’ route from the Faeroes to Shetland to Iceland and Greenland, greeted by characters who help unravel the enigmas in the Zens’ account. The medieval world comes to life as di Robilant guides us through a landscape enlivened by the ghosts of power-hungry earls and bishops of the old Norwegian realm and magical tales of hot springs and smoking mountains. In this rich telling—an original work of history and a travel book in one—the magnetism of the north draws us in as powerfully as it drew the Zen brothers more than six centuries ago.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
16 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Andrea di Robilant
11 books78 followersAndrea di Robilant was educated at Le Rosey and Columbia University. He now lives in Rome, working as a correspondent for the newspaper La Stampa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 26, 2023
Pretty good summary of the Voyage of the Zen Brothers and a fairly convincing argument that they made it at least to Greenland and that Nicolò the Younger was a first-class muddler but not perpetrating a hoax.
I don't get why pre-Columban (excepting the Norse) American contact is always ruled out as if it's breaking something in comic book canon. It's not like the Americas suddenly emerged from the ocean in 1492. There were people there, and there were people in Europe and the rest of the world, and it seems plausible to me that they had some minor contacts over the course of the centuries.
The author's personal journey is usually superfluous in these things, but it made sense given that it's a travelogue in a book about the trappings of travelogues. Also really liked the last chapter about how John Dee, Frobisher, etc etc all used stuff from the Zen map and account.
I don't get why pre-Columban (excepting the Norse) American contact is always ruled out as if it's breaking something in comic book canon. It's not like the Americas suddenly emerged from the ocean in 1492. There were people there, and there were people in Europe and the rest of the world, and it seems plausible to me that they had some minor contacts over the course of the centuries.
The author's personal journey is usually superfluous in these things, but it made sense given that it's a travelogue in a book about the trappings of travelogues. Also really liked the last chapter about how John Dee, Frobisher, etc etc all used stuff from the Zen map and account.
April 14, 2025
An interesting and rather short book (just under 200 pages) throwing some light on a little known aspect of the Middle Ages-- voyages to the North that may have reached North America before Columbus and "the Age of Discovery." Andrea di Robilant decided to research the voyages of his ancestors, the Venetian Zen brothers, Nicolo and Antonio, in the late 1300s. A narrative of the Zens' voyages was published by a descendant, Nicolo Zen, in the 1500s and made an impact on Europe at that time. However, in the 19th Century, that book was attacked as one of the great frauds of history. Unsurprisingly, di Robilant believes the story of the Zens was based on fact and he traced what he believed was the route of their odyssey. He believes their route took them from Venice north to the Faroes to the Shetlands to Iceland and finally to Greenland. Of course, the Vikings had preceded the Venetians to all the islands they went to, so you can't say the Zens' voyage was one of discovery but it was amazing.
Could the Zens have reached America a century before Columbus ( and after the Vikings had reached the "New World" as well as the people we call the Native Americans ) ? Science fiction author Fred Pohl wrote a non-SF book titled "The Lost Discovery" in 1952 in which he said the younger of the brothers, Antonio, sailed for the Scottish Prince Henry Sinclair. Sailing from Greenland, they were able to reach Nova Scotia around 1395. Antonio left Sinclair, who continued to explore to the south to present-day New England. Di Robilant mentions Pohl's book, stating that a boulder was placed in Nova Scotia by the Prince Henry Sinclair Society of North America to commemorate what the society believes was the landing place of the Sinclair expedition. But di Robilant doesn't buy it.
I don't know how much I can believe the whole story of the Zens, but it is fascinating. One thing is for sure, Columbus did not discover America. The Portuguese were very likely there before him, but kept their explorations secret. The Scotsman Prince Henry Sinclair with Antonio Zen may have been ahead of Columbus but the Vikings certainly were there ahead of Columbus, not to mention Irish monks, Chinese, Phoenicians, and very likely many others--not to mention the people who have lived in America for thousands of years, the people we call the Native Americans.
Could the Zens have reached America a century before Columbus ( and after the Vikings had reached the "New World" as well as the people we call the Native Americans ) ? Science fiction author Fred Pohl wrote a non-SF book titled "The Lost Discovery" in 1952 in which he said the younger of the brothers, Antonio, sailed for the Scottish Prince Henry Sinclair. Sailing from Greenland, they were able to reach Nova Scotia around 1395. Antonio left Sinclair, who continued to explore to the south to present-day New England. Di Robilant mentions Pohl's book, stating that a boulder was placed in Nova Scotia by the Prince Henry Sinclair Society of North America to commemorate what the society believes was the landing place of the Sinclair expedition. But di Robilant doesn't buy it.
I don't know how much I can believe the whole story of the Zens, but it is fascinating. One thing is for sure, Columbus did not discover America. The Portuguese were very likely there before him, but kept their explorations secret. The Scotsman Prince Henry Sinclair with Antonio Zen may have been ahead of Columbus but the Vikings certainly were there ahead of Columbus, not to mention Irish monks, Chinese, Phoenicians, and very likely many others--not to mention the people who have lived in America for thousands of years, the people we call the Native Americans.
September 9, 2012
Andea Di Robilant happened upon a map and a cornerstone in Venice. The map was drawn by Nicolo Zen, who in 1558 published a narrative based on letters of two of his ancestors who went off course in a 1383 trading trip to Flanders. The cornerstone was on an aging building (shown on p. 192) on the Palazzo Zen, the Zen family mansion in Venice. As an historian, Di Robilard's interest was piqued and he set about his own voyage of discovery.
Antonio and Nicolo Zen may have traveled to what is now Orkney, the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland. They may have reached Newfoundland too, over 100 years before Columbus reached the "new world". While the book of their travels by their brother's descendant, "Nicolo the Younger", was a sensation at its publication and had an impact on future generations, its authenticity has faced and faces continuous challenges. In the intro to the Bibliography, Di Robilant writes, "The story of the Zen voyages has generated enough books and articles over the past four and a half centuries to fill a small library."
In his search for the truth, Di Robilant went to see some of the places the Zen brothers allegedly visited in the 1380's. He met people, who to this day, have strong opinions about the truth or falsity of the Zen voyage accounts. In finding and visiting the sites described by Zen, such as the monasteries and the smoking mountain, Di Robilant gives the reader a travelogue of places and a description of people who live well off the beaten path.
Through the interesting portraits of the Zens of the 1380's, Nicolo Zen of the 1500's, and Fracnesco Marcolini, the book's publisher, you learn a lot about Venice of the time. Through the portrait of Henry Sinclair, a Scottish vassal in service to the King of Norway, said to have traveled with the Zens 1380's, you learn something of Scotland as part of Norway and that Sinclair may have explored the coast of what is now New England. Another portrait of the times is seen through John Dee, an astrologer to Queen Elizabeth who arranged investors for Martin Frobisher's search for a "Northwest Passage" based on the Zen accounts.
In describing his visits to libraries and his chats with historians, Di Robilant presents the little discussed history of this remote part of the world. Especially interesting to me was the role of Greenland as a trading link between North America and Europe. Greenland imported its timber from Norway, but the exports are more varied. Boats of that time could get to what is now Canada in a 12 day voyage and goods could be brought to Greenland for export. Exotic luxury goods such as walrus tusks, polar bear and Arctic fox furs, white falcons, caribou meat, seal skins and wool spun by the Greenland women were shipped to Europe. With this background, it is not surprising that in his voyages of the 1530's to what is now Newfoundland, Jaques Cartier notes that the native people recognize words in a number of European languages.
I chose this because the author's other two other books A Venetian Affair: A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century and Lucia: A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon about Di Robilant's Venetian ancestors were page turners and was not disappointed. Di Robilant has a talent for great writing and I will read whatever he publishes next.
Antonio and Nicolo Zen may have traveled to what is now Orkney, the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland. They may have reached Newfoundland too, over 100 years before Columbus reached the "new world". While the book of their travels by their brother's descendant, "Nicolo the Younger", was a sensation at its publication and had an impact on future generations, its authenticity has faced and faces continuous challenges. In the intro to the Bibliography, Di Robilant writes, "The story of the Zen voyages has generated enough books and articles over the past four and a half centuries to fill a small library."
In his search for the truth, Di Robilant went to see some of the places the Zen brothers allegedly visited in the 1380's. He met people, who to this day, have strong opinions about the truth or falsity of the Zen voyage accounts. In finding and visiting the sites described by Zen, such as the monasteries and the smoking mountain, Di Robilant gives the reader a travelogue of places and a description of people who live well off the beaten path.
Through the interesting portraits of the Zens of the 1380's, Nicolo Zen of the 1500's, and Fracnesco Marcolini, the book's publisher, you learn a lot about Venice of the time. Through the portrait of Henry Sinclair, a Scottish vassal in service to the King of Norway, said to have traveled with the Zens 1380's, you learn something of Scotland as part of Norway and that Sinclair may have explored the coast of what is now New England. Another portrait of the times is seen through John Dee, an astrologer to Queen Elizabeth who arranged investors for Martin Frobisher's search for a "Northwest Passage" based on the Zen accounts.
In describing his visits to libraries and his chats with historians, Di Robilant presents the little discussed history of this remote part of the world. Especially interesting to me was the role of Greenland as a trading link between North America and Europe. Greenland imported its timber from Norway, but the exports are more varied. Boats of that time could get to what is now Canada in a 12 day voyage and goods could be brought to Greenland for export. Exotic luxury goods such as walrus tusks, polar bear and Arctic fox furs, white falcons, caribou meat, seal skins and wool spun by the Greenland women were shipped to Europe. With this background, it is not surprising that in his voyages of the 1530's to what is now Newfoundland, Jaques Cartier notes that the native people recognize words in a number of European languages.
I chose this because the author's other two other books A Venetian Affair: A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century and Lucia: A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon about Di Robilant's Venetian ancestors were page turners and was not disappointed. Di Robilant has a talent for great writing and I will read whatever he publishes next.
October 1, 2012
Attention all Medieval Maritime Cartography Nerds (all six of you!)! Your Book Has Arrived! I was attracted to this book because I thought it was going to be a fascinating narrative of the author's retracing of the Zen brothers' travels from Venice to the northernmost reaches of the 14th-century world. He did, sort of, retrace their travels, via plane, mostly. I kept waiting for the narrative to get fascinating, and, had I been a Medieval Maritime Cartography Nerd, I'm sure it would have blown my socks off. I, however, am not that kind of nerd. My socks stayed on. In fact, my feet fell asleep waiting for something vaguely interesting to happen. Sadly, not even a flicker of fascination occurred. I can, nevertheless, recommend the first chapter to all of the Competitive 16th-Century Italian Book Publishing Geeks out there, as the entire first chapter is devoted to Competitive 16th-Century Italian Book Publishing. Unfortunately, that is also a rather small audience. Other people who might like this book are any Italians by the name of Zeno or Zen, for obvious reasons in the title, or any Scots with the last name of Sinclair, as one of their ancestors, Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney (or somewhere), figures prominently in the book as the mysterious Zichmni. In fact, it is Zichmni/Sinclair who supposedly gets the Zeno brothers to their various mysterious destinations, since he already seems to know where they're going. Zichmni/Sinclair seems to be the real hero here, rather than the Zens. By the way, it still baffles me how you can get "Sinclair" out of "Zichmni," but the author's whole premise rests on that tenuous link. The fact is that AT LEAST HALF of all Medieval Maritime Cartography Nerds (and you know which three or four you are!) think the entire Zeno/Sinclair/Zichmni story is a Bunch of Hooey, thrown together by an adoring Zen descendant, who, as it happens, was deeply involved in Competitive 16th-Century Italian Book Publishing. Being, in large measure, a Dane/Scot/Anglo-Saxon by heritage, I found some of this mildly informative, but, unless you fit into the select number of aforementioned Nerdly Interest Groups, you can probably pass on this one.
March 16, 2018
I was browsing the bookshop one day when I came across this book, which said it was about two Venetian brothers who went sailing in the Northern seas at the end of the fourteenth century. Well, I'm a sucker for random history stuff, so why not?
"Irresistible North" turned out to be a bit different from what I was expecting. It's a combo between research, stories and a traveling journal. A tourist asks Andrea di Robilant, the author, to point him to the Zen palace in Venice - he doesn't know what that's about, so he sends the tourist to the wrong palace. Then he looks up the Zen brothers, famous 14th c. navigators, and discovers that they may or may not have taken a journey to Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and maybe even the American coast, and their real or not real journey was documented 200 years later by one of their descendants, who published an account based on the remains of the letters they sent back home.
The journey was taken seriously for a while, then some people claimed it was a fake, then others claimed it was real again - and the story was mostly forgotten in the 20th c.
So Andrea di Robilant decided to see if it's possible for their journey to have been for real - the map was inaccurate, but was it possible they'd been to the North and seen a monastery where bread was baked without fire, and many other wonders besides. He followed their itinerary through modern means, checking out the places, asking people about local history, that sort of thing - and he mentions the details of *his* journey, as well, and the people he meets and what he finds there.
It's all very speculative (meaning I'm not entirely sure I believe the author at times) and I wish there were more pictures along the way (and more of the actual Zen accounts), but it's a fun story, if you aren't looking for something very deep and factual.
"Irresistible North" turned out to be a bit different from what I was expecting. It's a combo between research, stories and a traveling journal. A tourist asks Andrea di Robilant, the author, to point him to the Zen palace in Venice - he doesn't know what that's about, so he sends the tourist to the wrong palace. Then he looks up the Zen brothers, famous 14th c. navigators, and discovers that they may or may not have taken a journey to Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and maybe even the American coast, and their real or not real journey was documented 200 years later by one of their descendants, who published an account based on the remains of the letters they sent back home.
The journey was taken seriously for a while, then some people claimed it was a fake, then others claimed it was real again - and the story was mostly forgotten in the 20th c.
So Andrea di Robilant decided to see if it's possible for their journey to have been for real - the map was inaccurate, but was it possible they'd been to the North and seen a monastery where bread was baked without fire, and many other wonders besides. He followed their itinerary through modern means, checking out the places, asking people about local history, that sort of thing - and he mentions the details of *his* journey, as well, and the people he meets and what he finds there.
It's all very speculative (meaning I'm not entirely sure I believe the author at times) and I wish there were more pictures along the way (and more of the actual Zen accounts), but it's a fun story, if you aren't looking for something very deep and factual.
February 4, 2014
polyglot historian di robilant tells a funny tale of venice merchant sailors trying their hand at trading in low countries, getting blown off course, and ending up north of scotland, and wrote letters home to tell their family about it. this in about 1398. then the grandson? finally writes up these remenants of the tale, and map, and was a wild best seller, see, one zen brother supposedly went all the way to, perhaps, nova scotia, or at least west side of greenland and down to labrador/newfoundland, via orkneys, faroes, iceland, greenland. quite a feat in 1400. AND they went with a scot, sinclair. a bit of a twisted tale but author does great job educating reader on map making, venice wars and trading in eastern med, church matters: luthren and catholic and jew and moslem, the trade commodities, what rich people did with their money in venice, the 'council of ten', vikings and scandinavian hegemony, modern day faroes and orkneys and iceland and greenland, georgraphers, romans and greeks and on.
a delightful wide-ranging history of discovery and merchants and church from 1300's to 1400;s, pre-columbian. has maps, photos, house plans, and great bibliography of items in latin , greek, spanish, french, italian, german, and english sources.
fun, but also perhaps controversial in that no one is absolutely sure if any of this really "happened".
a delightful wide-ranging history of discovery and merchants and church from 1300's to 1400;s, pre-columbian. has maps, photos, house plans, and great bibliography of items in latin , greek, spanish, french, italian, german, and english sources.
fun, but also perhaps controversial in that no one is absolutely sure if any of this really "happened".
October 2, 2014
This book starts out level headed like a research topic but quickly takes a turn for the 'what if'. After a number of 'what ifs' I just didn't believe these brothers made it nearly as far as the author might like to think. By the end I was felt like I was reading a travelogue of the north atlantic.
March 20, 2012
I give this book 5 stars because I like well-written literary mysteries - literary in the sense of trying to unravel an obscure tale printed in 1558, nearly two hundred years after the original narrative was supposedly written. The author of "On the Discovery of the Islands of Frislanda, Eslanda, Engrovelanda, Estotilanda and Icaria made by two Zen brothers under the Artic Pole," was the great-great-great-grandson of one of the brothers, may have faked the purported adventures to aggrandize his position. The Zen brothers, who may (or may not have) sailed to the Orkneys, Faroes, Iceland, Greenland and the New World in the 1300s, were Venetian merchants who apparently went in the opposite direction to that of Marco Polo.
The author takes us on a tour of the active Venetian publishing scene, the intense interest in the far North and map making in the 1500s. And he takes us on a real journey by means of the old maps, the travel narrative and other documents in an attempt to follow in the path of the sailors. The description of the locations and derivation of the strange names are investigated. Di Robilant's quest is to determine if these intrepid sailors really made the journeys recounted in tattered letters found in an attic by the descendant.
Did they or didn't they? The reader can decide.
The author takes us on a tour of the active Venetian publishing scene, the intense interest in the far North and map making in the 1500s. And he takes us on a real journey by means of the old maps, the travel narrative and other documents in an attempt to follow in the path of the sailors. The description of the locations and derivation of the strange names are investigated. Di Robilant's quest is to determine if these intrepid sailors really made the journeys recounted in tattered letters found in an attic by the descendant.
Did they or didn't they? The reader can decide.
February 7, 2020
Andrea Di Robilant shapes a magnificent story around one of the most important families of 14th century Venice. Zeno Brothers and the Zeno Family will continue to shape Venice history centuries after their adventures. The author describes not only Zeno brothers story but also his "adventure" in searching for clues of one of the most questionable story told in 14th century Venice, wich is full of misunderstandings and grey parts, most of them clarified at the end of the book.
January 9, 2022
Interesting history of the first from the med to reach Iceland and the far north
July 17, 2025
This is an immensely readable effort from di Robilant. Part-popular history and part-travelogue, this book mixes the swashbuckling but distant narrative of the Zen brothers with the vivid descriptions and wholesome vignettes of the author’s own journey along their path. Di Robilant never claims to be writing a scholarly work; rather he refers to other scholars’ work and openly conjectures throughout the book. The result is a narrative that is not sufficient to definitively prove that the Zen brothers reached the lands of the High Arctic, but it is liberated from the scholarly dithering that is required in an analysis of such a distant and little-documented subject. This book fires the imagination and illustrates the vast possibilities of the often-shadowy medieval world. I could not put it down for most of the narrative. 5 stars.
October 26, 2021
I have rarely been so bored by something so well written. The author is evidently a scholar and I'm sure a gentleman, but this entire book is like a long winded joke without a punchline. There are all sorts of interesting narrative cul de sacs, which might each have been interesting, but the overall picture is foggy, uneven, and hard to care about. The period and broader context of Venetian Maritime supremacy/exploration is fascinating, but that is rather despite the author's efforts rather than because of them. One senses that this one should've stayed a draft, but the publishers needed something to show for their advance. I wish the author better luck in the future as he is clearly a good writer with a tidy, unaffected style. In many respects the writing far outshines the story.
June 11, 2019
In 1558, Venetian nobleman Nicolò Zen published an account of the 14th century travels of a couple of his ancestors to the northern Atlantic, including Iceland and Greenland. There is little evidence to either support or refute the claims made by Zen. So the methodology employed by the author was to visit places that appear in the narrative and compare experiences. I really like this idea for maximizing the amount of travel involved in researching a book, but it did not really produce enough threads for weaving a convincing narrative.
November 14, 2019
Interesting history, the author certainly has me believing the Zeno Brothers made it to the New World before Columbus. Great reading for anyone who loves Venice, maps and exploration, it’s well thought out and researched. We found the plaque honoring them on a house the grandson lived in on a canal in Venice, made for a fun afternoon hunting for it and our Venetian friend was impressed we knew who the Zeno Brothers were!
September 25, 2023
More than anything I enjoyed the authors passion for this topic. There were some interesting anecdotes and neat connections between people and places but di Robilant's enthusiasm came across very clearly and carried me through parts of the book where I may have wandered off otherwise.
March 19, 2021
The writing is serviceable, but there is not much of interest. It is not scholarly, and the narrative, speculative as it is, is not exciting.
September 13, 2011
‘I came upon this curious map in the most unexpected way…’
A book with a curious and wondrous map was published in Venice in 1558. Its author, Nicolò Zen, (referred to as Nicolò the younger in the narrative) was an official of the Venetian Republic, and in the book he claimed that his great-great-great grandfather Antonio and his great-great-great granduncle Nicolò had travelled around the north Atlantic as far as the coast of modern Newfoundland in the late 14th century. This was a full century before Christopher Columbus.
‘…‘Truth is the daughter of Time.’ Surely Marcolini, the printer, could not have chosen an allegory more suited to this tale.’
Andrea di Robilant became interested in this story after a chance meeting with an American tourist in Venice. In the 14th century, Nicolò and Antonio Zen journeyed from Venice to the North Atlantic. Along the way, visiting lands named Frislanda, Islanda, Icaria, Drogio and Estotiland, they encountered warrior princes and fought savage natives. They wrote of monasteries heated by springs, where bread could be baked without a fire, and of a ‘smoky mountain’. The story of their adventure travelled throughout Europe, finding its way into both the workshop of the great cartographer Mercator and the court of Elizabeth I. In 1835, the story was denounced as a ‘tissue of lies’ and the Zens faded into oblivion.
Was it a hoax, or did the brothers really make this journey? Andrea di Robilant set out to investigate the story of the brothers Zen, and travelled from the Palazzo Zen in Venice, to the Orkney Islands, to Shetland, the Faroes, to Iceland and to an isolated monastery in Greenland. The narrative touches on some fascinating historical personages: Nicolò the younger and his publisher Marcolini; the 16th century English explorer Martin Frobisher and Dr John Dee (who owned a copy of the Zen map); the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator (who replicated the map’s errors) and Henry Sinclair, the 14th Earl of Orkney who is seen as the best guess for the elusive warrior Zichmni (of Frislanda) – who spoke Latin and led complex military operations.
Di Robilant himself met some fascinating characters along his journey, but no hard evidence of the Zen journey. It does seem that many of the Zen discoveries were misplaced (at the very least) but I like the author’s belief that the islands discovered by the brothers, the strangely named Frislanda, Estotiland, Drogio, Icaria and Islanda were today’s Orkney Islands, the Faroes, Shetland, Iceland and (possibly) Greenland.
The book is a mixture of history and travelogue, and I enjoyed reading about the voyages of the brothers Zen and of the maritime glory of Venice.
‘We made our approach warily because the sea behind us was in great turmoil and the land we had reached was unknown to us.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
A book with a curious and wondrous map was published in Venice in 1558. Its author, Nicolò Zen, (referred to as Nicolò the younger in the narrative) was an official of the Venetian Republic, and in the book he claimed that his great-great-great grandfather Antonio and his great-great-great granduncle Nicolò had travelled around the north Atlantic as far as the coast of modern Newfoundland in the late 14th century. This was a full century before Christopher Columbus.
‘…‘Truth is the daughter of Time.’ Surely Marcolini, the printer, could not have chosen an allegory more suited to this tale.’
Andrea di Robilant became interested in this story after a chance meeting with an American tourist in Venice. In the 14th century, Nicolò and Antonio Zen journeyed from Venice to the North Atlantic. Along the way, visiting lands named Frislanda, Islanda, Icaria, Drogio and Estotiland, they encountered warrior princes and fought savage natives. They wrote of monasteries heated by springs, where bread could be baked without a fire, and of a ‘smoky mountain’. The story of their adventure travelled throughout Europe, finding its way into both the workshop of the great cartographer Mercator and the court of Elizabeth I. In 1835, the story was denounced as a ‘tissue of lies’ and the Zens faded into oblivion.
Was it a hoax, or did the brothers really make this journey? Andrea di Robilant set out to investigate the story of the brothers Zen, and travelled from the Palazzo Zen in Venice, to the Orkney Islands, to Shetland, the Faroes, to Iceland and to an isolated monastery in Greenland. The narrative touches on some fascinating historical personages: Nicolò the younger and his publisher Marcolini; the 16th century English explorer Martin Frobisher and Dr John Dee (who owned a copy of the Zen map); the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator (who replicated the map’s errors) and Henry Sinclair, the 14th Earl of Orkney who is seen as the best guess for the elusive warrior Zichmni (of Frislanda) – who spoke Latin and led complex military operations.
Di Robilant himself met some fascinating characters along his journey, but no hard evidence of the Zen journey. It does seem that many of the Zen discoveries were misplaced (at the very least) but I like the author’s belief that the islands discovered by the brothers, the strangely named Frislanda, Estotiland, Drogio, Icaria and Islanda were today’s Orkney Islands, the Faroes, Shetland, Iceland and (possibly) Greenland.
The book is a mixture of history and travelogue, and I enjoyed reading about the voyages of the brothers Zen and of the maritime glory of Venice.
‘We made our approach warily because the sea behind us was in great turmoil and the land we had reached was unknown to us.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
March 7, 2014
Have you noticed a trend in television documentaries and factual programmes? It is the cult of the presenter, insisting on getting their face in front of the camera. When the presenter was as erudite as Robert Hughes in "The Shock of the New" it was acceptable. Then, in order to become more "inclusive", the presenters told us what they had for breakfast while on the way to the Gallery/ Museum/ Battleground. The off-switch was reached ( for me ) when a presenter on a programme on Pop Art meandered across a car park musing on what a big car park it was!
The point to this rant is that Andrea de Robilant is constantly forcing the reader to "hear my voice". The historical passages from the 14th century and 16th century are well-written and evocative. Then, just as you are getting interested in the Venice-Genoa War you are yanked back to the author in a hire car telling you what the landlady made him for breakfast. This is a frustrating mixture of Bill Bryson, an intriguing puzzle and a spot of the kind of wounded pride that only academics can muster.
There is much genuinely interesting information in this tale. The author is adept at portraying a living 16th century culture. The appetite for tales of "terra incognita" was massive. Entrepeneurs filled that market with flowery tales that both plagiarised earlier
works and were cavalier with the facts. When an enterprising Venetian named Zen found a map in his family archives, he "embroidered" the tale in order to make his book more interesting. The tale of Venetian sailors lost in the North Atlantic was a mixture of reality and fiction that caught the contemporary audience.
Theres a lot to like in this book and it's worth the teeth-gritting travelogue to get to the hidden gems ( the section on Mercator is especially interesting )
The point to this rant is that Andrea de Robilant is constantly forcing the reader to "hear my voice". The historical passages from the 14th century and 16th century are well-written and evocative. Then, just as you are getting interested in the Venice-Genoa War you are yanked back to the author in a hire car telling you what the landlady made him for breakfast. This is a frustrating mixture of Bill Bryson, an intriguing puzzle and a spot of the kind of wounded pride that only academics can muster.
There is much genuinely interesting information in this tale. The author is adept at portraying a living 16th century culture. The appetite for tales of "terra incognita" was massive. Entrepeneurs filled that market with flowery tales that both plagiarised earlier
works and were cavalier with the facts. When an enterprising Venetian named Zen found a map in his family archives, he "embroidered" the tale in order to make his book more interesting. The tale of Venetian sailors lost in the North Atlantic was a mixture of reality and fiction that caught the contemporary audience.
Theres a lot to like in this book and it's worth the teeth-gritting travelogue to get to the hidden gems ( the section on Mercator is especially interesting )
February 17, 2017
I really liked this book. It is a great read for people who like history, maps and a little bit a travel narrative thrown in for good luck. A young woman who is tudyiung in venice discovers and follows the maps made by Nicolo Zen, a Venice merchant of the 1500's who travels to such places as Greenland, Iceland and newfoundland just after Columbus.
June 21, 2016
I thought I would enjoy this book far more than I did. Not that it wasn't interesting, but the topic is so fascinating and so little is known that I had hoped it would be a page-turner. It wasn't but that doesn't mean I didn't learn some interesting facts about northern exploration during this great age of exploration. For example, she relates the story of Deborah Sabo, "an archaeologist excavating Thule Inuit ruins on Baffin Island" [who] dug up a haunting little ivory figure depicting a Norseman wearing a long tunic and a cross on his chest. It was carbon-dated to the thirteenth or fourteenth century" (p. 125)--an interesting factoid for those of us who collect stories of early Norse travels to the New World. He also alerted me to a book I had never heard of which is definitely on my "to read" list--Jane Smiley's novel, The Greenlanders, which describes "the decline of one family in the vanishing Norse colony. The story begins in the second half of the fourteenth century" (p. 138). But most astonishingly, I learned that John Cabot, explorer of Newfoundland, was a Venetian (born Giovanni Caboto in Genoa)! who anglicized his name when he moved to London around 1484 (p. 132). But I wish the actual story of the Zen Brothers had had more depth to it, but then the resources are slight, which only left me longing for more.
March 6, 2014
Blurberoonies - 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, fighting savage natives and, just possibly, reaching the New World a full century before Columbus.
The story of their adventure, recounted in a small book accompanied by a beautifully detailed map by an enthusiastic Zen ancestor in 1558, travelled throughout Europe, from the workshop of the great cartographer Gerard Mercator to the court of Elizabeth I. For centuries, the brothers were heralded as pioneering adventurers, 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 to discover the truth about the Zen voyages. Following in their footsteps, his quest to solve one of Venice's most intriguing mysteries takes him on a fascinating journey of his own, from the crumbling Palazzo Zen in Venice to the space-age transport links of the Faroe Islands, a remote volcanic hillside in Greenland and the ruins of a once dynamic monastery in Iceland.
Abridged by Laurence Wareing.
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
How lacklustre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2011
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, fighting savage natives and, just possibly, reaching the New World a full century before Columbus.
The story of their adventure, recounted in a small book accompanied by a beautifully detailed map by an enthusiastic Zen ancestor in 1558, travelled throughout Europe, from the workshop of the great cartographer Gerard Mercator to the court of Elizabeth I. For centuries, the brothers were heralded as pioneering adventurers, 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 to discover the truth about the Zen voyages. Following in their footsteps, his quest to solve one of Venice's most intriguing mysteries takes him on a fascinating journey of his own, from the crumbling Palazzo Zen in Venice to the space-age transport links of the Faroe Islands, a remote volcanic hillside in Greenland and the ruins of a once dynamic monastery in Iceland.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qftk
The story of their adventure, recounted in a small book accompanied by a beautifully detailed map by an enthusiastic Zen ancestor in 1558, travelled throughout Europe, from the workshop of the great cartographer Gerard Mercator to the court of Elizabeth I. For centuries, the brothers were heralded as pioneering adventurers, 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 to discover the truth about the Zen voyages. Following in their footsteps, his quest to solve one of Venice's most intriguing mysteries takes him on a fascinating journey of his own, from the crumbling Palazzo Zen in Venice to the space-age transport links of the Faroe Islands, a remote volcanic hillside in Greenland and the ruins of a once dynamic monastery in Iceland.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qftk
February 1, 2014
This author is so readable and cogent in putting together the aspects of 'fact' and probabilities..each of his books has been wonderful. Some stories more than others catch the imagination...and if this had not been authored by Di Robilant I would not have read it. That being said, it was terrific. Not the least part of which is HIS intrepid search, quest, unraveling of this adventure.
I did have to read it w/ Atlas at my side and under-lining pencil ready to keep everything in order - I mean, who KNOWS the Faroe Island, the nooks of Iceland and the southern coast of Greenland, for heavens sake (all I did know before reading the book was that, indeed, there are not trees in Greenland (latitude above the perma-frost, I believe)! It was an excellent book even to the end. Bravo. I'm not sure to whom to recommend it but I thoroughly enjoyed the reading and am glad to add it to my Di Robilant shelf in my library - not the least of which, of course, is that the relationship begins and ends in Venezi!
I did have to read it w/ Atlas at my side and under-lining pencil ready to keep everything in order - I mean, who KNOWS the Faroe Island, the nooks of Iceland and the southern coast of Greenland, for heavens sake (all I did know before reading the book was that, indeed, there are not trees in Greenland (latitude above the perma-frost, I believe)! It was an excellent book even to the end. Bravo. I'm not sure to whom to recommend it but I thoroughly enjoyed the reading and am glad to add it to my Di Robilant shelf in my library - not the least of which, of course, is that the relationship begins and ends in Venezi!
August 10, 2015
I wanted to like this book more than I did, but the lack of narrative depth was troubling. The best section of the book covers the author's experiences in Greenland and thoughts about the island's future (which are far better covered in The Future History of the Arctic).
But most importantly, for a book about maps, where were the maps?! (Disclosure: I read the Kindle version, not the print--maybe the dead tree version is more complete.) As I read, I had to keep looking at Google Maps and an online version of the Zen map to figure out what, exactly, was happening. If the publishers reprint this, maybe they could swap out the portraits (and the houseplans for the Zen house in Venice...) for detailed maps.
But most importantly, for a book about maps, where were the maps?! (Disclosure: I read the Kindle version, not the print--maybe the dead tree version is more complete.) As I read, I had to keep looking at Google Maps and an online version of the Zen map to figure out what, exactly, was happening. If the publishers reprint this, maybe they could swap out the portraits (and the houseplans for the Zen house in Venice...) for detailed maps.
July 24, 2015
Quite an enjoyable read concerning two brothers from the 1400s who sail into and explore the lands of Greenland, Iceland, Scotlands Orkney islands, and one assumes even the North American shores in Labrador.
The author has a quiet humorous style of writing I found quite engaging. He moves from his own quest at locating manuscripts and fragments of history that refer to these Zen brothers, back to their adventures themselves.
To add another flavor to the writing, the author travels to most of these lands first person, interviewing local historians at each port of call. With the Zen brothers narrative significantly impacting cartographers of the day, along with being called frauds and opportunists, one comes away appreciating the tricky path of historians on any subject attempting to gather the most truth out of the distant past.
The author has a quiet humorous style of writing I found quite engaging. He moves from his own quest at locating manuscripts and fragments of history that refer to these Zen brothers, back to their adventures themselves.
To add another flavor to the writing, the author travels to most of these lands first person, interviewing local historians at each port of call. With the Zen brothers narrative significantly impacting cartographers of the day, along with being called frauds and opportunists, one comes away appreciating the tricky path of historians on any subject attempting to gather the most truth out of the distant past.
March 3, 2016
First reaction: what on earth is this book about? Should every historian publish a travel journal for each research they do? The story is far from fascinating and the results from the research and the travels not that exciting. On the other hand, the author goes to a lot of trouble to find the truth, searching for documentary evidence, even going to the remote locations his Zen navigators had visited centuries ago and comparing what he sees with their descriptions. It's an unassuming account of an attempt to verify historical truth with little prejudice.
Bottom line: such books can be quite important; they present science as something humane, practical and interesting. Travelling to Greenland through this book is no boring history.
Postscript: historians can probably write better than most people.
Bottom line: such books can be quite important; they present science as something humane, practical and interesting. Travelling to Greenland through this book is no boring history.
Postscript: historians can probably write better than most people.
September 28, 2012
I read Mr. Di Robilants books "Venetian Affair" and "Lucia, in the Age of Napoleon" and was fascinated by the knowledge of the Author, by his humor and his easy way to write those stories.... Now this new book fascinated me as well, as I am living about the half of the year in venice, and so the "Brothers Zen" were not unknown for me... and even the stories about them...
Mr. Di Robilants superb written book about the travels of these two persons, Nicolo and Antonio Zen, is so interesting, and as Metro said: Di Robilant is a charming tour guide..."
He made me - at least - interested to go to Stykkisolmur, Iceland for some weeks.
Thank You, Mr. Di Robilant!
Mr. Di Robilants superb written book about the travels of these two persons, Nicolo and Antonio Zen, is so interesting, and as Metro said: Di Robilant is a charming tour guide..."
He made me - at least - interested to go to Stykkisolmur, Iceland for some weeks.
Thank You, Mr. Di Robilant!
August 18, 2012
Di Robilant entertainingly intertwines the stories of two 14th-century Venetian explorer-brothers, their 16th-century descendant and his own attempts to retrace the first pairs journeys. He plausibly speculates that the Nicolo and Antonio Zen visited and explored Iceland, Greenland and North America, even though the map drawn by their descendant is filled with fanciful islands. More important, Nicolo the Younger's sometimes misleading account of his forebears' journeys may have prompted early British exploration of Canada.
February 18, 2013
A bit rambling, but I like that. skips back and forth between centuries, but in any case, it's an enjoyable read, and a fairly convincing argument is put forth, however, the author leaves us in no doubt that the evidence he is going on is circumstantial at best, and sets out his own visits to the places in question as part of the story. In the end, it has made me want to go to Greenland and the Faroes, places I never thought I'd want to go, so I think that's definitely something. I enjoyed it tremendously.
March 7, 2014
I was mesmerized by this tale within a tale. Andrea Di Robilant sets out to explore the story of the Venetian Zen brothers who in the 1300's allegedly sailed north to the Orkneys, the Faroes, Iceland, Greenland, and northern Canada and mapped their journeys. The author pulled me along as he poked at holes, examined records, considered the world of the time, and visited probable locations to determine whether or not the story was true. It was irresistible. - And I think that I buy the whole thing. Go Zen brothers.
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