Spread of the Compass in the Mediterranean

Timeline

1. 1200–1300Sicily (Strait of Messina) · SicilyThe magnetic compass reached southern Europe through the works of Muslim scholars in West Asia and North Africa, and Italian mariners began using the compass box (bussola) to determine their course on coastal and offshore voyages.
2. 1331–1340Venice · VeniceIn the early 14th century, merchant ships and galley fleets at major ports such as Venice and Genoa were commonly equipped with compasses; crews combined charts and port-route markers for orientation, improving the reliability of sailing in winter and cloudy conditions.
3. 1400–1500Iberian Peninsula · IberiaIn the 15th century Iberian navigators combined Mediterranean compass technology with the astrolabe and more accurate charts for Atlantic exploration routes, and the compass became one of the core tools of modern ocean navigation.