History

16 Jun 1458

Count Gabriele Capodilista, a gentleman from Padua, visited Cyprus and described how he and his company travelled around. His notes were edited by his friend Paolo Boncambio

Count Gabriele Capodilista, a gentleman from Padua, visited Cyprus and described how he and his company travelled around. His notes were edited by his friend Paolo Boncambio:

Friday, in the morning, their course brought them close to the island of Cyprus. They passed C. Epiphanio, and a city called Papho, ruined and almost without inhabitants. At xxiii of the clock they reached a little village called Episcopia, very rich in sugar, which belongs, I think, to some Venetian gentlemen of the house of Cornaro. At this place they received news that the Queen of Cyprus was dead, and that the king, scarcely caring any more for sovereignty, had made a bastard son, called Lo Postoleo, his lieutenant; also that it was supposed that the Turk was coming to those parts. They stayed a little while in this village and saw some most lovely gardens of oranges, citrons and carobs, and some other tree called banana, which produce fruit very much like small cucumbers; when it is ripe it is yellow and very sweet of savour…and they saw many fields of sugar cane.