Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20110328 | By Andrea di Robilant. Read by Sam Dale. In the fourteenth century, so the story goes, two merchant brothers set out from Venice on a journey through the rough seas of the North Atlantic, encountering warrior princes, fighting savage natives and, just possibly, reaching the New World a full century before Columbus. The story of their adventure, recounted in a small book accompanied by a beautifully detailed map by an enthusiastic Zen ancestor in 1558, travelled throughout Europe, from the workshop of the great cartographer Gerard Mercator to the court of Elizabeth I. For centuries, the brothers were heralded as pioneering adventurers, until, in 1835, the story was denounced as a 'tissue of lies' and the Zens faded into oblivion. Intrigued by the myth, the writer Andrea di Robilant set out to discover the truth about the Zen voyages. Following in their footsteps, his quest to solve one of Venice's most intriguing mysteries takes him on a fascinating journey of his own, from the crumbling Palazzo Zen in Venice to the space-age transport links of the Faroe Islands, a remote volcanic hillside in Greenland and the ruins of a once dynamic monastery in Iceland. Abridged by Laurence Wareing. Produced by Kirsteen Cameron. A quest for traces of the fabled North Atlantic voyages of two 14th century merchants. |
| 02 | 20110329 | By Andrea di Robilant. Read by Sam Dale. In the fourteenth century, so the story goes, two merchant brothers set out from Venice on a journey through the rough seas of the North Atlantic, encountering warrior princes, fighting savage natives and, just possibly, reaching the New World a full century before Columbus. Their adventures - printed as a small book and beautifully detailed map in 1558 by an enthusiastic ancestor - were celebrated throughout Europe until, in 1835, the story was denounced as a 'tissue of lies' and the Zens faded into oblivion. Intrigued by the myth, the writer Andrea di Robilant set out on a personal quest to see what traces remain of these fabled voyages. In this episode, he arrives in the Faroe Islands: a scattering of volcanic islands half-way between Shetland and Iceland where echoes of its vibrant past as a busy maritime hub still resonate. Abridged by Laurence Wareing. Produced by Kirsteen Cameron. A journey to the Faroe Islands in the wake of two 14th century Venetian merchants. |
| 03 | 20110330 | By Andrea di Robilant. Read by Sam Dale. In the fourteenth century, so the story goes, two merchant brothers set out from Venice on a journey through the rough seas of the North Atlantic, encountering warrior princes, fighting savage natives and, just possibly, reaching the New World a full century before Columbus. Their adventures - printed as a small book and beautifully detailed map in 1558 by an enthusiastic ancestor - were celebrated throughout Europe until, in 1835, the story was denounced as a 'tissue of lies' and the Zens faded into oblivion. Intrigued by the myth, the writer Andrea di Robilant set out on a personal journey to see what traces remain of these fabled voyages. In this episode, the author arrives in Iceland and visits the ruins of a monastery believed to be mentioned in the Zen text. While there he chances upon an old farmer whose encyclopaedic knowledge of the Icelandic sagas brings the distant past vividly to life. Abridged by Laurence Wareing. Produced by Kirsteen Cameron. An old Icelandic man, steeped in the Norse sagas, brings the distant past vividly to life. |
| 04 | 20110331 | By Andrea di Robilant. Read by Sam Dale. In the fourteenth century, so the story goes, two merchant brothers set out from Venice on a journey through the rough seas of the North Atlantic, encountering warrior princes and fighting savage natives on distant shores. Their adventures - printed as a small book and beautifully detailed map in 1558 by an enthusiastic ancestor - were celebrated throughout Europe until, in 1835, the story was denounced as a 'tissue of lies' and the Zens faded into oblivion. Intrigued by the myth, the writer Andrea di Robilant set out on a personal journey to see what traces remain of these fabled voyages. In this episode his quest reaches the shores of Newfoundland and prompts the question: did Antonio Zen arrive in North America a full century before Columbus? Abridged by Laurence Wareing. Did a Venetian merchant reach North America a century before Columbus? Sam Dale reads. |
| 05 LAST | 20110401 | By Andrea di Robilant. Read by Sam Dale. In the fourteenth century, so the story goes, two merchant brothers set out from Venice on a journey through the rough seas of the North Atlantic, encountering warrior princes and fighting savage natives on distant shores. Their adventures - printed as a small book and beautifully detailed map in 1558 by an enthusiastic ancestor - were celebrated throughout Europe until, in 1835, the story was denounced as a 'tissue of lies' and the Zens faded into oblivion. Intrigued by the myth, the writer Andrea di Robilant set out to discover what traces remain of these fabled voyages. In this final episode, the quest reaches its furthest point north on the slopes of a smoking volcano in Greenland. Abridged by Laurence Wareing. Produced by Kirsteen Cameron. The smoking slopes of a volcano in Greenland signal journey's end. Read by Sam Dale. |