Map 1. Eastern Mediterranean
About this Item
Title
- [Portolan atlas of the Mediterranean Sea, western Europe, and the northwest coast of Africa].
Summary
- "Portolan charts came into use on sailing vessels in the Mediterranean Sea toward the end of the 13th century. Made for and, in many cases, by seamen, these nautical maps were characterized by the system of intersecting loxodromes, or rhumb lines, which crisscross each chart and the ornamented compass rose that usually appears. This atlas of five manuscript charts has been attributed to Juan Oliva, a member of the illustrious Oliva family of Catalan chartmakers who began working in Majorca some time before 1550. The atlas was compiled no earlier than 1590 and perhaps as late as the first few years of the 17th century. The maps in the atlas are: 1. the eastern Mediterranean, including Greece, the Aegean islands, Crete, Cyprus, and the Black Sea; 2. the central Mediterranean, including Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and Malta; 3. Western Europe and the British Isles, showing the entire coasts of Spain, Portugal, France, the Low Countries, Denmark, the southwest coast of Scandinavia, and the British Isles; 4. northwest Africa, including Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde Islands, and part of the Azores; and 5. a world map drawn on an oval projection. In the world map, North America, identified as "terra florida" and "nova francia," is joined with eastern Asia. Several of the maps include drawings of ships." World Digital Library.
Names
- Oliva, Joan, active 1580-1615.
Created / Published
- [ca. 1590]
Contents
- [1. Eastern Mediterranean] -- [2. Central Mediterranean] -- [3. Western Europe and the British Isles] -- [4. Northwest Africa] -- [5. World map drawn on an oval projection].
Headings
- - Mediterranean Region--Maps--Early works to 1800
- - Earth
Genre
- Early maps
- Manuscript maps
- Portolan charts
- World atlases
Notes
- - Accompanied by 4 pieces of a Latin manuscript on vellum removed from the spine during conservation.
- - Attributed to Joan Oliva by John Wolter in A portolan atlas of the Mediterranean Sea and western European waters, with a world map, 1987.
- - Bound in contemporary tooled and gilded vellum covers.
- - Pen-and-ink and watercolor on vellum. World map painted on paper affixed to vellum.
- - Six blank paper pages precede and follow the 10 vellum pages of maps. Circular watermarks on pp. [3] and [19].
- - Title supplied by cataloger.
- - LC Nautical charts on vellum, 8.
- - Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image.
Medium
- 1 ms. atlas ([22] p.) : col. ill., col. maps, vellum ; 29 cm.
Call Number/Physical Location
- G1059 .O4 1590
Repository
- Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA dcu
Digital Id
Library of Congress Control Number
- 2005634035
Online Format
- image