Accented with fine gold and filigree: a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance cartography by the famous Battista Agnese
Nautical Atlas of Battista Agnese
Venice (Italy) — 1457; 1536–1564

Nautical Atlas of Battista Agnese
Venice (Italy) — 1457; 1536–1564
Both of the cartographic works of art here are outstanding examples of Renaissance geography
This elegant map is considered to be one of the most expressive cartographic works of the Quattrocento
Battista Agnese (ca. 1500–64), cartographer to kings and emperors, created a masterpiece with his *Nautical Atlas*

Nautical Atlas of Battista Agnese
West Atlantic and Caribbean
Although the Spaniards ruthlessly sought gold throughout the New World, they and other Europeans came to realized that its true wealth lay in sugar, so-called white gold. In addition to other cash crops like tobacco and salt that could be produced in the Caribbean, sugar plantations fed Europe’s sweet tooth as well as the Atlantic slave trade. The Caribbean was thus thoroughly surveyed in the early 16th century as were its more than 700 islands, each a potential “gold mine”.
Nautical Atlas of Battista Agnese
- Weltkarte des Battista Agnese
- Mappa Mundi 1457 Atlante Nautico di Battista Agnese
- Mappamondo genovese
Short Description
One of the most exciting epochs in world history made impressively tangible: the Age of Discovery of the 15th and 16th centuries, during which the image of the world was fundamentally changed. The famous Mappa mundi 1457 is one of the most expressive cartographic expressions of the Quattrocento. This world map is appended by the impressive Nautical Atlas of Battista Agnese, the famous Italian cartographer, whose patrons included Emperor Charles V.
Nautical Atlas of Battista Agnese
Cartographic documents were valuable and expensive possessions, for their precious contents on the one hand, and because of the extraordinary art of their making on the other. Often exuberantly adorned, their exterior already testified to their luxury. Both of the cartographic works of art here are outstanding examples of this acclaim. Both the world map as well as the atlas are associated with famous names in Italian history. The former was found in the possession of the Medici, the latter probably in the possession of the Florentine family of Da Sommaia.
A Luxurious 15th Century World Map
The Mappa mundi 1457 is considered to be one of the most expressive cartographic depictions of the Quattrocento. This is a famous document from the Biblioteca Palatina was a possession of the Medici. The impressive world map measuring 39.5 x 79.5 cm was made ca. 1457, probably by a Castilian cartographer. In collaboration with unknown but nevertheless talented miniaturists, the cartographic depiction of the Earth in elliptical form is vividly illustrated and colored. The Mappa mundi is furnished with detailed annotations, sometimes in Latin, sometimes in Italian. Additionally, the use of gold underlines the quality and worth of the map.
A Cartographer for the Emperor and Nobles
The *Nautical Atlas of Battista Agnese is a luxurious atlas** from the famous collection of Antonio Magliabechi, which, together with the holdings of the famous Biblioteca Palatina, forms the foundation of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze. The Da Sommaia family’s coat-of-arms adorns a few pages of the precious manuscript and thus probably indicates the patron. Battista Agnese (ca. 1500–1564), the famous cartographer from Genoa with a workshop in Venice, worked for the highest social circles. As a result, he was employed by Emperor Charles V inter alia, who commissioned Agnese with an atlas for his son Philipp II. Agnese was famous for the outstanding quality of his work. He integrated the most recent discoveries into his geographic works.
Masterpiece of Cartography
The Nautical Atlas, which is stored today in the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, is a masterpiece of cartography and a grandiose attestation to this work by Battista Agnese. The atlas is designed with impressive aesthetics and is naturally also extremely innovative cartographically. The famous atlas is characterized by gorgeous pictorial adornment, e.g. the astronomical depiction of the Earth in the middle of the universe. The most recent historical developments were also taken into account: the route of the world circumnavigation by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano in the year 1519–22 is drawn inter alia.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Weltkarte des Battista Agnese
Mappa Mundi 1457 Atlante Nautico di Battista Agnese
Mappamondo genovese - Size / Format
- 1 map; 32 pages / 79.5 x 39.5 25.3 x 18.4 cm
- Origin
- Venice (Italy)
- Date
- 1457; 1536–1564
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 1 map. Atlas: 15 maps
- Artist / School
- Battista Agnese
- Previous Owners
- Medici family
Biblioteca Palatina
Antonio Magliabechi
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Nautical Atlas of Battista Agnese“
Atlante Nautico di Battista Agnese
- Publisher
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – Rome, 2008
- Limited Edition
- 750 copies
- Binding
- Map comes in a cotton folder. Atlas is bound in leather
- Commentary
-
2 volumes by Juan Gil and Gino Benzoni
- More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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