Catalan navigators who arrived in the Canary Islands a century before the Portuguese

The Catalan navigators They have undoubtedly been the great forgotten of the history of Atlantic exploration. Very ahead of the Portuguese, who had the support of the crown, these bold explorers crossed the waters of the South Atlantic almost a century before Gil Eanes, in 1434, challenged the dreaded end of Bojador. However, his legacy has remained in the shadows, hidden after the official narrative that glorifies others. This article reveals the fascinating history of Catalan navigators and their crucial role in the opening of new commercial routes to Africa.

Romeu de Armasan outstanding historian, describes this chapter as one of the most surprising in the history of geography. According to him, “in this resurrection process, on a still blurred background, the events of the past emerge in the early planes full of penetrating light.” For Catalonia and Spain, Atlantic navigations represent one of the brightest pages in their history.

During the Middle Ages, the Atlantic Ocean beyond Morocco was considered a territory of myths and terrors. The Arab legends talked about a “dark sea” full of monsters, a place that few dared to venture. For historians, the Conquest of this fear was the true feat.

The Portuguese, with the support of their crown, carried out a state company that, thanks to the perseverance of Enrique the navigatorhe said his place in textbooks. However, their Catalan predecessors, which they did not have such support, had already made important explorations.

The Canary Islands: A springboard towards Africa. The records of the Catalans trips to the Canary Islands They are a testimony of their audacity. It is absurd to think that, with the African coast in sight, these expeditions were stopped within the limits of the archipelago. The mere presence of these navigators in the islands, which for them were a natural step on their route, demonstrates that their ultimate goal was the coast of Guinea, south of the Cabo de Bojador.

The Rastro of the Pioneer: Jaime Ferrer. One of the most emblematic cases of this travel series is that of the navigator Jaime Ferrer. His Expedition to the River of Gold in 1346 It is a milestone that proves the Catalan knowledge of the area. Although there is doubts if the ship returned, the fact that the trip was planned demonstrates a Previous familiarity with those remote coasts. His feat was documented in the Portulanos of the time, such as the Catalan Planisferio of Abraham Cresques of 1375 and that of Mechany of Viladestes of 1413that immortalized their departure. Destiny, the Río del Oro, was then identified with the Senegal River, a vital source for the powdered gold trade.

Even more revealing is the document discovered by Dr. Mitja in 'Atlantic Years', than confirms the existence of an expedition in 1391. This is the registration of the sale in Barcelona of an indigenous of Fuerteventura, captured in an expedition that played the Canary Islands and the nearby African coast. To better locate the island, it is described as located “towards the Guinea parts.”

This expedition, headed by Scarsafiga-Bargayo-González, was a Hispanic-Genoese collaboration that sailed from Seville or Cádizshowing a private commercial network that operated from the Andalusia Lower and that had already broken the South Atlantic barrier.

The big difference between Portuguese and Catalans efforts lies in their nature. While the former were state companies, meticulously registered and advertised, the Catalan expeditions were private, driven by merchants. Therefore, their achievements were lost in history, leaving only a trace in commercial documents and maps. However, these scarce indications reveal that the Catalans were silent pioneerswhose boldness laid the foundations for subsequent explorations.