The most popular geographical work to be printed from movable
type in the fifteenth century was Ptolemy's Geography or
Cosmography. Originally compiled by the Alexandrian geographer,
astronomer, and mathematician Claudius Ptolemy in the second
century A.D., it was translated from Greek into Latin in Florence,
Italy about 1410. The map of the world here reproduced,
beautifully illuminated with twelve wind heads, is one of thirty-two
maps illustrating the edition of the Cosmographia issued from the
press of Lienhart Holle of Ulm, Germany, on July 6, 1482. Holle's
edition was the first to be printed north of the Alps and the first to
include maps printed from woodcuts. To produce his printed
editin, Holle used a manuscript copy prepared under the direction
of the Benedictine Monk known as Donnus Nicolaus Germanus.
1708; "Cellarius"; Département des Estampes et de la
Photographie, Bibliothèque nationale de France
(thanks to Yannick Maignien)
In Germanus, 1482
This world map shows the state of European cartographic
knowledge of the world prior to Columbus' 1492 voyage. It reflects
the Ptolemaic world view. The old (or known) inhabited world
oikoumene is depicted as extending 180 degrees east and west, but
in reality it covers only 105 degrees of longitude. This elongation,
greatly shortening the unknown portion of the earth, was to
influence navigators such as Christopher Columbus for many years.
Also depicted is Ptolemy's mistaken notion that the Indian Ocean
was an enclosed body of water, an idea that was to be disproved
only five years later by the successful rounding of the Cape of
Good Hope by Bartholomeu Dias of Portugal.
© 21 Aug 1995,
Nicolas Pioch -
Thanks to the
BMW Foundation, the WebMuseum
and contributors for their support.