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Varna

Ancient name
Varna
Modern name
Varna
Modern country
Bulgaria
Varna is now a major Black Sea resort and the third-largest city in Bulgaria; in the Middle Ages it was one of the most important Black Sea ports, exporting wheat, animal skins, honey, wax, wine, timber, and other local produce for the markets of Constantinople and Italy. Lying between Falconaria and Mesember, Varna is one of a group of sites along the northern and western coast of the Black Sea that appear in only a single Sfera manuscript (Ashb7). Campbell #1089; Gordeev 334–6.
Coordinates
43.22, 27.92
This toponym does not appear in the poem, only on the maps accompanying it.
Map of the location M189

Variant spellings of Varna in Sfera manuscripts

Variant Manuscripts
varna Ashb7
Suggested citation
Beneš, Carrie. “Varna.” Gregorio Dati’s La sfera = The Globe: A Digital Edition, February 10, 2026. https://la-sfera-staging-a8db029690a6.herokuapp.com/toponyms/varna/.