Antillia – Phantom Island of Seven Cities
Antillia · Antilia · Isle of Seven Cities · Ante-Illa
1424 Pizzigano – 1580 removal, but name lives·Portuguese–Genovese cartography + Visigoth legend·🇵🇹 Atlantic Ocean between Canaries and Azores, later shifted west to Antilles, Portugal
About
About Antillia – Phantom Island of Seven Cities
Most influential Atlantic phantom: Zuane Pizzigano 1424 oblong island Ante-illa (before Thule?), later rectangular Antillia crowded with seven bishop cities (Septem Civitates) from Visigoth flight 714. Columbus via Toscanelli used Antillia as stepping stone ('Antilla shall be 200 leagues west Lisbon'); 1492 discovery renamed West Indies Antilles after Antillia phantom. Behaim globe 1492 retains Antillia; removed 1570 after Azores explored but toponym persists. Columbus's error partly Antillia distance.
Why it mattersPhantom that created world map term: Antilles named for non-existent island; demonstrates how phantoms shaped real discovery routes (Columbus). Companion to Hy-Brasil/Norumbega map phantoms.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Did Pizzigano's rectangle copy unknown Atlantic island like Azores before official discovery? Pre-discovery hint?
Theories
- 01Antillia may be distorted Azores – pre-1427 sighting captured rectangular due to compass error
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Claimed 714 seven bishops cities each with bishop
- Period
- 1424 Pizzigano – 1580 removal, but name lives
- Culture
- Portuguese–Genovese cartography + Visigoth legend
- Purpose
- Refuge isle and navigational waypoint for western Atlantic
- Abandoned
- 1570 Ortelius deletes after Azores settlement proves empty
- Rediscovered
- 1424 Pizzigano chart; 1455 Bartolomeo Pareto; 1492 Behaim globe last appearance
- Excavation
- Not applicable
714
Legend – seven bishops flee Tariq, found cities on Ante-Illa
1424
Pizzigano charts Antillia rectangular 700 miles west Portugal
1492
Behaim globe includes Antillia; Columbus departs citing Toscanelli
1520s
Name transferred to discovered Caribbean Antilles – phantom becomes archipelago
On the ground
Structures & features
35.0000° N · 28.0000° W · 0 m · 3 mapped features
Antillia nominal (35N 28W)
phantom centerPizzigano rectangle locus 700 mi W Lisbon
35.0000° N · 28.0000° WAzores (real archipelago confused)
archipelago realReal islands 37–40N 25–31W – mis-mapped as Antillia rectangle 1424
38.7000° N · 27.1000° WAntilles (name transplant)
archipelago namedCaribbean named after Antillia phantom – modern Haiti/Cuba etc.
19.0000° N · 72.0000° W
Gallery