Portulan C.G.A.5.c

Portugal has played a special role in the history of cartography. Portuguese explorers set out into all of the lands and seas of the world and opened up completely unknown regions. In the course of this pioneering work, arguably the most important cartography schools of the European Renaissance developed in Portugal. Some of the most important historical works of the 15th century, which served as a cornerstone for our modern geography and navigation, had their origin here. Portulan C.G.A.5.c is the earliest example of a Portuguese nautical map. It displays discoveries on the coast of Africa by Fernando Gomes in the years 1471–2.

What is a Portulan?

The term portulan or portolan originally indicated a book with nautical information such as landmarks, lighthouses, currents, and harbor conditions. According to historical sources, such sea-books already existed in the 13th century. Beginning in the 16th century, the term broadened and from then on comprised not only the written descriptions, but also the accompanying nautical maps, which were contained in books. Today, the term “portulan chart” indicate a very precise type of map. The map Portulan C.G.A.5.c is one of these special maps.

The Geography of the Middle Ages

It is not known who exactly is responsible for the creation of Portulan C.G.A.5.c, but its formation period has been dated between 1472 and 1483. This is based on the special emphasis on the cities of Lisbon and Ceuta, which enjoyed a blossoming of trade and culture during this time. The faithfully detailed and geographically correct map demonstrates how astounding the knowledge of Portuguese cartographers was during the Renaissance. He managed to create maps completely without modern technical aids that are still of importance for our modern navigation today.