The Zeno Narrative is a reference to a long historical controversy centered on the aristocratic Zeno Family of Venice. In 1558, Niccolo Zeno the Younger published a series of letters and a map recording a previous voyage made by his ancestors Nicolo and Antonio into the North Atlantic. The voyage claims to have discovered many new islands and lands several of which have been interpreted as parts of North America, almost a hundred years before the voyages of Columbus.

These claims were accepted by many serious scholars of the time as well as forming the basis of several territorial claims made by the Venetian Republic to the lands of eastern Canada and the United States.

Modern historians regards the letters and the map as a hoax and mainly as an attempt to legitimize Venetian claims to North American territory.

Original colour. [AMER2400]