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This sheet from Benedetto Bordone’s Isolario, first printed in 1528, showcases two maps on opposite sides, depicting Zanzibar and Madagascar on one side and Scilam (modern-day Sri Lanka) on the other. Bordone's Isolario is a key early Renaissance work offering detailed cartographic and descriptive information on various islands of the world.
On one side, the map at the top, Bordone shows a group of islands known in Ptolemaic and medieval lore, where fact and myth intermingle. The island of "Maniole," for example, is said to be composed of magnetic ore, evoking the popular belief that certain islands in Southeast Asia could attract and interfere with ships' metal tools and weapons. Similarly, "Bazacata" is described as an island inhabited entirely by nudists, reinforcing the often sensationalized views of distant lands held by Europeans during the Renaissance.
Bordone also includes the islands of "Imangla" and "Inebila," which he describes with a curious tale that draws from medieval European lore. According to Bordone, Imangla is an island inhabited exclusively by women, while Inebila is an island populated only by men. The women of Imangla visit Inebila solely for procreation, and any male children born on Imangla are sent to Inebila at the age of three. This myth echoes medieval stories of distant matriarchal societies and separate male and female communities, which were a common motif in European literature about exotic and unknown lands.
Bordone's explanation repeats these fantastical stories as if they were geographically real, reflecting the blending of folklore, ancient knowledge, and contemporary exploration that characterized much of early Renaissance cartography. The idea of islands populated by specific gendered communities highlights European fascination with "otherness" in distant lands and the desire to understand the world through familiar yet exotic frameworks.
Although based on Ptolemaic and medieval sources, these islands represent the limits of Renaissance Europe's geographical knowledge about Southeast Asia. European cartographers and explorers were only just beginning to gain more accurate information about the vast islands and archipelagos in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. However, maps like Bordone’s continued to rely on ancient sources, blending myth with emerging geographic knowledge. By including these islands, Bordone reflects a world still in the process of being fully understood and mapped.
Below the mythical Island group, a second map features Zanzibar (labeled as "Zanzibar") and Mauritius (labeled as "Maidegascar" in reference to Madagascar, but representing Mauritius in this context), two islands located off the southeastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar is depicted with its elongated shape and mountainous features, highlighting its important coastal position along historical trade routes.
Zanzibar was a crucial hub in the Indian Ocean trade network, known for its production of spices, especially cloves, as well as ivory and slaves, which were traded with Arab, Persian, Indian, and European merchants. By the time of Bordone’s map, Zanzibar had already become a key port of call for merchants traversing between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The map's inclusion of the island reflects its growing prominence in global commerce during the Renaissance.
Madagascar, depicted prominently as "Maidegascar," is shown with mountainous terrain and coastal outlines. Although still largely unexplored by Europeans at the time of this map’s creation, Madagascar was known to early explorers and traders for its vast size, diverse wildlife, and valuable resources. Portuguese explorers had reached the island in the early 16th century, and Madagascar would go on to become an important stopover point for ships traveling between Africa, Asia, and Europe. The map’s inclusion of Madagascar reflects its growing importance in the European imagination, particularly for explorers and traders seeking to navigate the Indian Ocean’s complex trade networks.
On the other side, the map depicts Scilam (modern-day Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon) and Dondina. Sri Lanka is depicted with a central mountain range and coastal settlements, highlighting its geographical importance in the Indian Ocean. Known for its production of cinnamon, gemstones, and other valuable goods, Sri Lanka was a key point of interest for European traders during the Renaissance. The island’s strategic position made it a vital location for controlling trade routes between the East Indies, Africa, and Europe.
Sri Lanka's rich history as a center of Buddhist culture and its position as a nexus for Indian, Arab, and Chinese traders made it a significant player in Indian Ocean geopolitics. During the early 16th century, Portuguese traders established a presence on the island, seeking to control its lucrative spice trade, which is reflected in its appearance in Bordone’s Isolario.
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.
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