Dalmatia in the New
World-New England 1523
Isola Lunga-Dugi
Otok-Long Island, New York
By Adam S. Eterovich
VERRAZANO, GIOVANNI: Giovanni Verrazano traveled to the New
World in 1523-24 in the name of the King of France 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" (Croatia).
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." (De Costa 1880)
I
believe Verrazano is Vranjican (Veracan) 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. (Eterovich, A. 1990)