Map of Spain - Abraham Ortelius

Map of Spain - Abraham Ortelius

Abraham Ortelius (1527-98) is one of the most famous and important figures in the history of geography and cartography and is most remembered for creating the first modern atlas, the Theatrum orbis terrarum, which first appeared in 1570 as a commission of the merchant Gillis Hooftman van Eyckelberg (1521-81) with a final edition published posthumously in 1598. The section regarding Spain begins with a description in neatly printed in a Roman typeface that gives a succinct geographical description with both the ancient and modern names of cities and towns across the Iberian Peninsula. Mountains, coastlines, and rivers are presented with an incredible degree of accuracy in the large, double-page map. Ortelius also lists the sources he used in creating this detailed, highly accurate map going all the way back to Ptolemy (ca. 100 – ca. 170). Thus, this is a work of cartography that is distinguished both by its accuracy and its artistry – a worthy start to the Golden Age of Netherlandish Cartography!

A Titan of Cartography

Abraham Ortelius was born in the Brabant region of the Habsburg Netherlands to a family who had previously moved there from Augsburg after coming under suspicion of being secret Protestants. His personal knowledge of European geography was rooted in his extensive travels across the Low Countries, Germany, France, Italy, England, and Ireland. Ortelius began his career as a map-engraver and joined the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke as a cartographic illuminator in 1547. He was also active as a bookseller who regularly attended the now-world famous Frankfurt Book Fair when it was in its infancy. It was there that he met Gerardus Mercator in 1554 and the two of them would go on to collaborate on what would become the world’s first modern atlas, which marks the beginning of the Golden Age of Netherlandish cartography. This incredibly detailed and finely executed map is merely a taste of the magnificence that is the Theatrum orbis terrarum