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A remarkable tale of survival lies behind these inconspicuous islands of Santi and Rustene, which occupy the seas north of Norway and south of the ‘land of pygmies' on Mercator's 1569 world map. It's a story so powerful that it is still celebrated in Norway and Italy today.

Some Soviet historians took the literal translation of these wayward islands - 'Holy Russians' - as evidence that the Pomors from northern Russia had discovered Svalbard (Het nieuwe land) decades before Willem Barentsz in 1596. However, the real story goes back to 1431, and a lost Venetian.

One carrying 21 men was unfortunately lost. The other continued to drift north with the currents. After failing to land in Ireland, the boat carried on beyond the Faroe Islands and eventually past the Arctic Circle. On 6 January 1432, Querini and 20 survivors landed on Sandøya in Lofoten, Norway.

After several days clinging to life on this uninhabited island, local fishermen came to their rescue and brought them to their homes on the nearby island of Røst. The locals provided food and shelter during the hostile winter months. After 100 days on Røst, the Venetians began their journey home.

Travelling via Trondheim, London and Basel, Querini finally arrived back in Venice on 25 January 1433. The tale is recounted in several contemporary manuscripts, one written by Querini himself, held in the Vatican Library