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The First Map to Focus Solely on the Philippines.
Insulae Philippinae, published in Amsterdam in 1600 by Petrus Bertius and Cornelis Claesz, has the notable distinction of being the first map that focused solely on the Philippines. This exquisite representation, first issued in the 1598 edition of Barent Langenes's Caert-Thresoor published in Middelburg, stands as a cornerstone of Philippine map collecting.
The geographical delineation of the Philippines as depicted in this map mirrors the historical context of the time, marked by European exploration and expansion in Southeast Asia. The Philippines had been a Spanish colony since the mid-16th century, providing a strategic foothold for the Spaniards in the region. The map thus embodies the European—particularly Dutch—interest in this geopolitically significant archipelago, where maritime trade routes converged and colonial ambitions intertwined.
A testament to the significance and popularity of Langenes's map is its frequent re-publication. It was later included in Petrus Bertius's Tabularum Geographicarum, first issued in 1600. In total, the map enjoyed no less than 12 appearances between 1598 and 1650 in the two works by Langenes and Bertius. This continual reissue not only underscores the map's importance as a reference tool but also its impact on the contemporary understanding and visualization of Southeast Asia.
An essential map for Philippine Collectors.
Petrus Bertius was a Flemish historian, theologian, geographer, and cartographer. Known in Dutch as Peter de Bert, Bertius was born in Beveren. His father was a Protestant preacher and his family fled to London around 1568. The young Bertius only returned to the Low Countries in 1577, to attend the University of Leiden. A bright pupil, Bertius worked as a tutor and was named subregent of the Leiden Statencollege in 1593. He ascended to the position of regent in 1606, upon the death of the former regent, who was also Bertius’ father-in-law. However, due to his radical religious views, he eventually lost his teaching position and was forbidden from offering private lessons.
His brothers-in-law were Jodocus Hondius and Pieter van den Keere, who were both prominent cartographers. Bertius began his own cartographic publishing in 1600 when he released a Latin edition of Barent Langenes’ miniature atlas Caert Thresoor (1598). He published another miniature atlas that first appeared in 1616.
By 1618, Bertius was named cosmographer to Louis XIII. He converted to Catholicism and took up a position as professor of rhetoric at the Collège de Boncourt (University of Paris). In 1622, Louis XIII created a chart of mathematics specifically for Bertius and named him his royal historian. He died in Paris in 1629.
