Gulf of Lions
- Ancient name
- Sinus Gallicus
- Modern name
- Gulf of Lions
- Coordinates
- 39.76, 5.79
Mare de Lione (Sea of Lions) appears in only a single manuscript (Pnc5), indicating the section of the Mediterranean between North Africa and Sardinia. It does not appear to correspond to the traditional Gulf of Lions (Sinus Gallicus), the large bay along the coast of southern France with Marseille at its eastern end—but the name may be analogous to other uses of the term in mediveal sources that seem to indicate an area of dangerous weather.
This toponym does not appear in the poem, only on the maps accompanying it.
Map of the location M140
Variant spellings of Gulf of Lions in Sfera manuscripts
| Variant | Manuscripts |
|---|---|
| M[ARE] DELIONE | Pnc5 |
- Suggested citation
- Beneš, Carrie. “Gulf of Lions.” Gregorio Dati’s La sfera = The Globe: A Digital Edition, February 10, 2026. https://la-sfera-staging-a8db029690a6.herokuapp.com/toponyms/gulf-of-lions/.