Page 24 - Lanzarotto Malocello from Italy to the Canary Islands

24 from Italy to the Canary Islands

To conclude, I wish to underline the significance of the ambitious com-
memorative project developed in honour of the man to whom it is dedi-
cated, as it is a project of great scientific scope which, in giving a detailed
account – through the authenticity of historical references – of places, or-
igins, family links, social fabric and trade policies of Genoa of yesteryear,
provides elements which can be used to interpret entire pages of Italian and
international history, as well as of the history of explorations and of trade
between peoples, of the discovery of the World, of the meeting and cultural
exchange between different civilisations, and of diplomatic, political and
human relations.
The discovery of the Canary Islands marks a significant milestone in
the historical evolution of the indigenous people of the island, in the fabric
of relations with the local population and between Italy and Spain, as well
as a caesura worthy of great attention in the transition from the Medieval
times and the closed economy of the feudal system to the assertion of the
humanist spirit; finally, it also turned out to be a fundamental moment in
the building of that ideal bridge cast between two places very far away
from each other in the world, uniting them, and a journey paving the way
for progress through dynamic anticipation of that era which was soon bap-
tized as “Modern History”.
Lanzarotto Malocello guided that Atlantic universe, those mirabilia and
the theological and fantastical geography of Medieval prints, abundant
with religious symbols, onto an empirical path and to a physical dimen-
sion of reality.
Thus, if Lanzarotto Malocello is unspoken of in many history books
or included among characters of lesser importance, this is not because his
work is not worthy of consideration, but only because of the lack of infor-
mation about him and about the value of his titanic venture, which, finally,
th
as we approach the 7 centenary of the discovery of the Islands, is finding
scientific recognition in a greatly informative publication aimed at schol-
ars, history lovers, researchers and those who are simply interested, which
also reveals to the more curious of tourists, who are eager to find out more
about the island, and the origin of an unusual and mysterious name such
as “Lanzarote”.

Mr Maurizio Fallace
Director-General for Bibliographic Heritage, Cultural Institutions and
Copyright of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities