La circunnavegación de África por parte de los hermanos Vivaldi en 1291: precursores de Vasco da Gama

In 1291, the brothers Vadino and Ugolino Vivaldi set off from Genoa in two galleys with the aim of reaching ad parte Indiae. A document lost for 700 years, Galvano Fiamma’s Ystoria Ethyopie, offers new elements that allow us to conclude the Vivaldi managed to circumnavigate Africa on their expedition and, therefore, they can be considered the forerunners of Vasco da Gama. Documents are presented in the appendix that show that the Allegrancia galley did not participate in such undertaking, and, for that reason, it could not give its name to the northernmost of the Canary Islands, the Island of Alegranza.