PRETE GIANNI (PRETE JANNI). — Throughout the Middle Ages, particularly after the 13th century, the legend of the existence of the mysterious kingdom of Prester John was widely spread in Europe. This kingdom was believed to flourish in some part of the East, beyond the "iron curtain" of Muslim domination. Marco Polo placed this kingdom in China, in Shanxi.
In the 15th century, the search for the kingdom of Prester John occasioned numerous journeys and expeditions that contributed to broadening Europe's geographical horizons. Among the first to definitively locate the kingdom of Prester John in Ethiopia were the French friar Jordanus de Séverac and the Italian friar Giovanni Marignolli. The kingdom was also sought by Portuguese navigators who explored the Red Sea coast following the voyages of Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama. Popular imagination depicted the kingdom of Prester John as exceedingly powerful and wealthy. Modern hypotheses regarding the actual existence and precise location of the kingdom of Prester John lack any substantial basis, and even the origin of the name of the sovereign and his priestly title remain uncertain.