Satanazes – Atlantic Phantom of the 1424 Pizzigano Chart
Satanaxio · Isla de Satanazes · Devil Island Phantom
Portolan chart phantom (1424–1508 CE)·Portuguese–Venetian cartography / Phantom·🇵🇹 Atlantic Ocean, Azores phantom, Portugal
About
About Satanazes – Atlantic Phantom of the 1424 Pizzigano Chart
Satanazes, the Devil Island of the 1424 Pizzigano chart off Portugal, appears as a 400 km archipelago of five islands at 33.5°N 29°W southwest of the Azores, named after 'Satan's island' where demonic dangers were warned. The phantom persisted on Beccario 1435 and Roselli 1508 charts, sometimes merged with Antillia, before vanishing after Portuguese Azores discovery. No submarine bank supports it; it is textually Celtic mission phantom inflation. The name likely conflates Sargasso fog banks with Saint Brendan demonic isle tales. No bathymetric high exists at the coordinate – the abyssal plain is 4000 m deep.
Why it mattersPrimary example of Azores region phantom propagation; Satanazes study anchors portolan error analysis and Azores discovery chronology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why Pizzigano placed five islands where none exist
- 02Whether Satanazes merged memories of Sargasso fog banks
Theories
- 01Copying error magnified a small Azores rock into archipelago; later merged with Antillia as joint phantom
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 1424 CE (first drawn on Pizzigano)
- Period
- Portolan chart phantom (1424–1508 CE)
- Culture
- Portuguese–Venetian cartography / Phantom
- Purpose
- No purpose – cartographic phantom copied faithfully after 1424
- Abandoned
- 1508 CE (disappearance from Roselli last copy)
- Rediscovered
- 1925 Cortesão identifies Pizzigano
- Excavation
- Not applicable
1424
Zuane Pizzigano draws Satanazes archipelago SW of Azores
1508
Roselli last copies Satanazes before deletion
On the ground
Structures & features
33.5000° N · 29.0000° W · 0 m · 3 mapped features
Pizzigano 1424 Island 1
islandLargest Satanazes island – 100×40 km phantom island at chart centre at Satanazes – Atlantic Phantom of the 1424 Pizzigano Chart
33.6000° N · 29.1000° WSatanazes Channel
canalInter-island channel 50 km – phantom strait between islands at Satanazes – Atlantic Phantom of the 1424 Pizzigano Chart
33.4500° N · 28.9000° WAbyssal Plain Floor
harbour4000 m abyssal plain floor proving no land at Satanazes – Atlantic Phantom of the 1424 Pizzigano Chart
33.5000° N · 29.0000° W