The Priority of the Discovery: European Claims to the Canary Islands

 As I have promised, I returned to my publishing activity in September. This time, I uploaded a new version of my article and offered it to Discussion on the Academia. 

It is the first part of my longer paper, The Rediscovered Islands. The subtitle makes clear that the author covers the history of the Canary Islands in the 14th century. 

The Little Age of Discovery (14th century) starts with the controversial uncovering of the Canary Islands. Without delay, the curia laid claims to dominion over the new enclave. However, the kings of Portugal and Castile had second thoughts about the sovereignty. The author refers to the portolan charts and travelogues of the trecento to prove the cautious expansion and dissemination of the geographic lore.

Yes, the Canaries presented the first stepping stone ushering the Little Age of Discovery. I call the discovery controversial since it is still unclear who discovered each of the seven populated islands. I guess, in 1341 the Portuguese had mapped the entire archipelago; however, the first islands, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, were visited during the 1330s, probably by another expedition dispatched by the same king, Afonso IV dubbed The Brave. 

One can trace the further history of the Little Age of Discovery comparing  contemporary portolans and travelogues, such as the Libro de Conocimiento. The last source mentions about 25 Atlantic Islands, most of them bearing modern names, suggesting that during the latter part of the 14th century Madeira and the Azores had been sighted and mapped. A Castilian friar, the purported author of the travel account, was an armchair globetrotter, with an eye for maps and coats of arms. 

This extract belongs to my third project describing the quest for the maritime route from Europe to the Indies. You can view the paper https://www.academia.edu/51337940/The_Priority_of_the_Discovery_European_Claims_to_the_Canary_Islands 

I intend to upload other extracts in the coming months. Meanwhile, I continue reviewing the data about transport galleys.