FOREWORD
ALWAYS BE PRAISED Our Lord, creator of seven Heavens, of four elements, and of every other thing, which on earth is seen, Creator of man, who is superior to all other animals, to whom not only intellect was given to contemplate His Divinity, but also language, with which he is able to express gratitude for having received this benefit.
I, Cristoforo Armeno, a poor sinner from the city of Tauris in my country, heard many times from various people that in parts of Francia there were a large number of noble men, who were gifted with great intellect which could easily be seen from the beautiful, and wonderful things, found near where they lived. So one can easily understand that I greatly desired to see this country, the inhabitants of which were mostly Christian, so I could learn the rites and principles of the religion of Jesus, which I greatly desired to do, being a Christian myself. Therefore, with God's help I made my way towards Francia and the first place I reached was the city of Venice. Because in the whole world no other city like it is found, it is believed that it could only have been made by the hand of the Lord.
