DALMATIA IN THE NEW WORLD
Isola Lunga-Dugi
Otok-Long Island, New York
Adam S. Eterovich
www.croatians.com
croatians@aol.com
Giovanni
Verrazano traveled to the New World in 1523-24 and is credited with the
discovery of parts of Canada and the New England coast down to New York and the
Carolinas. New England was first called New Dalmatia.
Dalmatia in the New World
In
a book by Jacques Habert on the voyages of Verrazano in French, a chapter
heading Is entitled: "La Dalmate Da
Nouveau Monde," A book by Carlos
Pazzini In Italian on the adventures of Verrazano we have "La Dalmazia del Nuovo Mondo.”
The American Scenic and Historical Society in a description of the
American coast also has a heading; "Dalmatia
of the New World." This is New England today.
"The
Verrazano letter was widely quoted and discussed by historians and
cartographers, Ganong, one of the most respected, quotes the letter as follows:
"Departing
from this place, skirting between east and north a coast where no intercourse
was had with the natives, the land was found very beautiful, open and bare of
forests, with high mountains back inland, growing smaller toward the shore of
the sea. In fifty leagues we discovered XXXII islands, all near the continent,
small and of pleasing appearance, high, following the curving of the land,
among which were formed most beautiful ports and channels, as in the Adriatic Gulf, in the Illyrias, and
Dalmatia".
B.
F. DeCosta in his book on Verrazano in 1880 states:
"
Again, In speaking of, the resemblance of the American coast to the shores of
the Adriatic,“ the Carli version reads, 'the Adriatic Gulf near Illyria and
Dalmatia,' while the Ramusio version reads, 'Sclavonia and Dalmatia.' Scythia
was included in Tartary, and Illyria, was inhabited by Sclavonians (Croatians),
who were widely distributed. The terms employed are such as might properly be
used by two translators, while those of Ramusio are manifestly not the terms
that would have been substituted by a critic engaged in making improvements.
"
The Slavonians (Croatians) were spread far and wide, but the true country of
Sclavonia formed a part of Hungary then as now. It is depicted on Verrazano's
map, and is not depicted as extending to the coast. Illyria was called
Slavonia, only because occupied by a Slav population.”
Isola Lunga-Dugi Otok-Long Island, New
York
Further
comment by DeCosta is most revealing in identifying place names in the New
World of America with place names in Dalmatia:
"
The writer has already expressed the opinion, that certain names on the
Verrrazano Map have an “Italian” as well as a French reference. This view has
been strengthened by a careful comparison of the map with the map of the coasts
of Illyria and Dalmatia, referred to in the letter, and where are found such names
as "I. Cervi,' I. Lunga,' "Belvidere' and Palmanuova.' The latter may
be the correct rendering of the obscurely written word which we have given as
'Palmasina,' while 'Bomuetto' may be Bonivetto,' after the Italian admiral. In
the sketch of the Verrazano Map given in our combination sketch, several
letters, particularly obscure in the original, are marked by dots."
I
believe Verrazano is Vranjican from Dalmatia in Croatia. No genealogy of
Verrazano has ever been found, although claims have been made that are false.
Italian-Americans celebrate Verrazano and the Verrazano bridge each year in New
York.
VERRAZANO VOYAGES BIBLIOGRAPHY
American
Scenic and Historic Pres Society. “Verrazano.” American Scenic Society, 1910. Calls American Coast Dalmatia in the
New World.
Brevoort,
James C. Verrazano the Navigator. New
York, 1874.
De
Costa, B. F. Verrazano the Explorer:
Being a Vindication of His Letter and Voyage. New York: A. S. Barnes, 1880.
Mentions Sclavonians, Dalmatia, Illyria and Dalmatian place names on the
American coast.
Destombes,
Marcel. “Nautical Charts Attributed to Verrazano, 1524-1528.” Imago Mundi, 1954.
Eterovich,
Adam S. Croatia in the New World: The
Verrazano Voyages to America and Canada, 1523-1524. San Carlos, Calif.:
Ragusan Press, 1990. New England was first named New Dalmatia
Eterovich,
Adam S. “The Verrazano Voyage's to America and Canada, 1523-1524.” Croatian Voice, Mar 26, 1993. Names the
New England Coast--New Dalmatia
Habert,
Jacques. La Vie Et Les Voyages Jean De
Verrazane. France, 1964.
Murphy,
Henry C. The Voyage of Verrazano.
Freeport: Books For Library Press, 1875.
Pazzini,
Carlos. L' Avventuroso Navigage Di
Giovanni Da Verrazano. Bologna: Cappelli Editore, 1970. Names the New
England area Dalmatia in the New World.
Stokes-Phelps,
I. N. The Iconography of Manhattan
Island, 1498-1909. New York: R. H. Dodd, 1915. Verrazano information.
Wroth,
Lawrence C. The Voyages of Giovanni da
Verrazano, 1524-1528. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1970.