I viaggi di Gio. da Mandavilla, vol. 1

A travelogue written between 1357 and 1371. This extraordinary work claims to chronicle an Englishman's journey across the Near East to India and China, beginning in 1332. Filled with fantastical tales and unreliable accounts, it nonetheless influenced explorers like Christopher Columbus. The book draws heavily from other travel narratives, embellishing them with legendary monsters, curious customs, and wondrous lands.