Giovanni di Marignol sometimes referred to as John of Florence (1290-1359), was an Italian Franciscan clergyman. In 1338, he was called to Avignon by Pope Benedict XII (1334-1342), who appointed him legate and entrusted him with an embassy to the Great Khan of China. He thought he had found the earthly paradise on the island of Ceylon, where he stayed with his companions for several months. He was later appointed Bishop of Bisignano (Calabria) and then Chaplain to Emperor Charles IV. We owe him a “Universal Chronicle,” in which he gives the account of his travels in the East. He specifies that one of the Magi comes from Yalapanam, also known as Jaffna.