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.