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This sheet from Benedetto Bordone's Isolario, first printed in 1528, depicts three detailed maps showcasing various islands in the Cyclades archipelago of the Aegean Sea. On one side, Naxos (Νάξος), the largest island of the Cyclades, is prominently featured, while the verso includes two maps of the smaller neighboring islands of Polyaigos, Folegandros, Kardiotissa, Sikinos, as well as Donousa, Schoinousa, Irakleia, and Keros. Bordone’s Isolario is a significant early Renaissance cartographic work, the first such work to include all the islands (and some coastlines) of the known world.
The larger single map illustrates the island of Naxos, the largest and historically one of the most significant islands in the Cyclades. Naxos is depicted with its central mountainous terrain and various coastal settlements, which reflect the island’s role as a prominent center of trade, culture, and agriculture in the Aegean. Naxos was renowned in antiquity for its production of marble, wine, and olives, as well as for being a religious center dedicated to the worship of Dionysus, the god of wine. The island was also the mythological site where Theseus abandoned Ariadne after his escape from the Labyrinth.
Bordone’s map includes various landmarks, settlements, and temples, which likely reference Naxos's rich cultural and religious history. During the Renaissance, Naxos was under Venetian control, part of the Duchy of the Archipelago, a Venetian maritime dominion established in the early 13th century following the Fourth Crusade. The island’s strategic location and abundant resources made it a valuable possession for Venice and a focal point for navigation in the Cyclades.
On the other side, the top map shows a collection of smaller Cycladic islands, including Polyaigos ("Polino"), Folegandros ("Policandro"), Kardiotissa ("Cardia"), and Sikinos ("Sicino"), while the bottom map shows Donousa, Schoinousa, Irakleia, and Keros. These islands are depicted with their unique shapes and basic topographical features, emphasizing their position within the Cyclades archipelago.
During the Renaissance, the Cyclades were an essential part of Venetian maritime strategy, with many of the islands, including Naxos, serving as part of the Duchy of the Archipelago. The Venetians used these islands as bases for trade, agriculture, and naval defense, which helped maintain their dominance over the Aegean Sea. Naxos, in particular, was a vital cultural and commercial center, while the smaller islands served more peripheral roles in this network of Venetian-controlled territories.
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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