Estense World Map
The Estense World Map arose ca. 1450 and was made by an anonymous draftsman of the Catalonian school of cartography. The cartographer mixed actual empirical findings with his own fantastical visions of the world. The magnificent map is found today in the Biblioteca Estense in the Italian city of Modena.
Estense World Map
The area of Catalonia-Valencia-Mallorca formed the economic and cultural center of 14th century Spain. Education, art, and all types of scholarship were found there. The cartography schools of that region produced some world maps, which form the basis of our modern geographic knowledge. The Estense World Map is counted among the masterpieces of the Catalonian school. This world map was most likely not used for sea voyages, but rather to evidence the refined technical skill of the draftsman, whose vision of the Earth reached out from the Mediterranean into unknown regions.
On the Tracks of Marco Polo
The unknown draftsman of the Catalonian world map made his work with the aid of empirical data of the Mediterranean region, which he knew best. For the depiction of unknown regions he relied on literary sources and logically implemented these. His representation of China was clearly influenced by tales of the famous explorer and world traveler Marco Polo. The map additionally reflected the religious sentiments of the draftsman. The heavenly paradise is depicted in the region of Africa on the circular map.
Fantastic Imagination
In his map, the cartographer added real scientific facts alongside a few curiosities, which indicate his boundless fantasy and compositional delight. The depiction of Africa does not show the actual form of the region. It is formed in a series of portraits, which show conquerors, kings, and sultans with animal countenances. In the master’s conception, the laws of God and nature were suspended outside of Europe. The cartographic treasure is found today in the Bibliotece Estense in Italy.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Mapamundi Catalán
Mapamundi Catalán Estense
Mappamondo Estense
Mappemonde Catalane
Katalanische Weltkarte
Mapa-múndi Catalão
Estense-Weltkarte
Il mappamondo Catalano Estense
Mapamundi Catalan-Estense
Catalan-Estense World Map - Type
- Map on parchment
- Size / Format
- 1 map / Diameter: 113.0 cm
- Origin
- Spain
- Date
- Ca. 1450
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Script
- Humanistic
- Content
- Early example of a north oriented world map
- Artist / School
- Anonymous artist of the Catalan-Majorcan school
- Previous Owners
- Estense Family
Estense World Map
Africa
Stylistically, the most noteworthy characteristic of the Catalan school is the series of portraits of the lords of the desert in their tents, some of whom are actual sultans and others legendary figures. These are the earliest European maps to acknowledge and record the presence of Islamic power in the Mediterranean. Some of these figures are depicted with dogs’ faces as though the laws of God and nature did not apply outside of Europe, but this is probably a metaphor whose meaning is now lost.
#1 Mapamundi Catalán
Languages: Spanish, Catalan
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