|
||
|
|
|
|
These three hand-colored woodcut maps, designed by Benedetto Bordone, are part of his celebrated Isolario, an atlas dedicated to the detailed mapping of islands of the world, first published in Venice in 1528. Bordone was an Italian cartographer and illuminator renowned for his meticulous attention to geographic and cultural details. Each map on this sheet presents a distinct island or group of islands, accompanied by descriptive text in Italian that offers insights into the geography, local customs, and historical significance of the depicted areas.
Map 1: Kyra, Panagia, Gioura, Piperi, and Prasonisi of the Northern Sporades (Σποράδες)
The top left map showcases a cluster of islands in the Northern Sporades, prominently featuring the modern islands of "Kyra," "Panagia," "Gioura," "Piperi," and "Prasonisi." The map employs a compass rose, indicating cardinal directions, which enhances navigational understanding. The accompanying text provides details about the islands' proximity, navigational hazards, and notable features.
Map 2: Peristera (Sarachino) and Skiathos (Sciatos)
The bottom left map depicts another set of islands, including "Peristera" (referred to as Sarachino) and "Skiathos" (referred to as Sciatos). The text elaborates on the geographical and cultural aspects of the islands, mentioning historical events and local legends.
Map 3: Lemnos (Stalimene) and Agios Efstratios (S. Strati)
The right map focuses on the islands of "Lemnos" and "Agios Efstratios." The island is shown with significant topographical detail, including mountain ranges, rivers, and settlements. The accompanying text delves deeper into the islands' history, cultural practices, and strategic significance. It also provides practical information about navigating around the islands, highlighting safe harbors and dangerous waters.
Benedetto Bordone (1460-1531) was a polymath who was born in Padua and worked in Venice. He was an illuminator, engraver, miniaturist, editor, and geographer. It is possible he made the first globe in Italy. His most famous work is the Isolario, or Book of Islands, which included many of the earliest printed maps of islands in the New World.
Bordone, a prominent Venetian manuscript editor, miniaturist, and cartographer, was born in Padua, a city that was then part of the Republic of Venice. Although his exact date of birth remains unknown, historical records indicate that his parents married in Padua in 1442, and he himself was married in 1480. Bordone's contributions to the field of cartography, particularly through his seminal work, Isolario, have cemented his legacy as a pivotal figure in the Renaissance cartographic tradition.
Bordone's most renowned work, Isolario (The Book of Islands), printed in Venice in 1528, is a comprehensive compilation that describes all the known islands of the world. The book offers detailed accounts of each island's folklore, myths, cultures, climates, geographical situations, and historical narratives. It stands as a testament to the popularity of the isolario genre in 15th and 16th century Italy and serves as an illustrated guide for sailors, incorporating the era's latest transatlantic discoveries.
One of the notable features of Isolario is an oval depiction of the world, a map type invented by Bordone. This innovation was later formalized into the equal-area elliptical Mollweide projection three centuries afterward. Bordone's map portrays a distorted view of the New World, showing only the northern regions of South America and depicting North America as a large island labeled Terra del Laboratore (Land of the Worker), a likely reference to the region's active slave trade during that period, which also influenced the name Labrador.
The book also contains the earliest known printed account of Francisco Pizarro's conquest of Peru, making it a significant historical document. Among the numerous woodcut maps included in Isolario, twelve are dedicated to the Americas. These maps feature a plan of "Temistitan" (Tenochtitlan, modern Mexico City) before its destruction by Hernán Cortés, and a map of Ciampagu, the earliest known European-printed map of Japan depicted as an island.
Benedetto Bordone's familial connections are also of interest; he is reputed to have been the father of Julius Caesar Scaliger, a noted classical scholar, and the grandfather of Joseph Justus Scaliger, who is recognized as the founder of the science of historical chronology. The original maps from Bordone's Isolario are highly valued today for their historical significance and intricate craftsmanship. Through his work, Bordone has left an indelible mark on the history of cartography, providing invaluable insights into the geographical knowledge and cultural perceptions of his time.
![La Dimostratione Del Luogo Dove Al Presente Sitrova L'Armat Di Barbarossa, et De Christiani Detto Il Golfo Dell' Artha Antichamente Il Seno Ambracio Da Ambracia Citta Reale Di Pulrrho Vicino Al Promontorio Actio Per Lavictoria Di Augusto Contra Marc Antonio et Cleopatra Memorabile [The Demonstration of the Place Where the Fleet of Barbarossa is Currently Located, and of the Christians, Called the Gulf of Artha, in the Past the Ambracian Gulf, from Ambracia, a Royal City of Pyrrhus, Near the Promontory of Actium, Memorable for the Victory of Augustus Against Mark Antony and Cleopatra.]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/73923.jpg)
![/ Fournoi and Leipsoi ] (Lango, Colipo, Molini, Arangia, Fornoli, Lipso, Crusia, Mandria)](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/107838.jpg)
