Contarini-Rosselli map
Encyclopedia
The Contarini-Rosselli map of 1506 is the first printed world map showing the New World.
The Contarini-Rosselli map was designed by Giovanni Matteo Contarini
and engraved by Francesco Rosselli
. It is a copper-engraved map and was published in Venice
or Florence
in 1506. The only surviving copy is in the British Library
.
Although there had been maps created after these voyages, such as Juan de la Cosa
’s map of the world in 1500 (based on Columbus' second voyage) and the Cantino
world map (circa 1502), the information on these maps was closely held and guarded as state secrets. Often a limited number of copies were made.
) and Martin Waldseemüller
's map of the world and globe of 1507 were influential, but not very widely published. There is only one original copy of each in existence, and both of these copies were discovered in the 20th century.
By contrast, Johannes Ruysch
's 1507 map of the world was much more widely published and many copies were produced and still exist. It therefore had a very large influence.
The Contarini-Rosselli map was designed by Giovanni Matteo Contarini
Giovanni Matteo Contarini
Giovanni Matteo Contarini was a cartographer, and a member of a prominent Venetian family.Contarini compiled a famous world map that was engraved by Francesco Rosselli that is most often given the date 1506. The Contarini-Rosselli map is the oldest surviving printed map depicting any part of the...
and engraved by Francesco Rosselli
Francesco Rosselli
Francesco Rosselli was an Italian miniature painter, and important engraver of maps and old master prints. He is described as a cartographer, although his contribution did not include any primary research and was probably limited to engraving, decorating and selling manuscript maps created by...
. It is a copper-engraved map and was published in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
or Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1506. The only surviving copy is in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
Age of Discovery
There had been many voyages of discovery in the immediately preceding years:- DiasBartolomeu DiasBartolomeu Dias , a nobleman of the Portuguese royal household, was a Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, the first European known to have done so.-Purposes of the Dias expedition:...
’ rounding of Africa (1487) - the discovery of Newfoundland by John CabotJohn CabotJohn Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer whose 1497 discovery of parts of North America is commonly held to have been the first European encounter with the continent of North America since the Norse Vikings in the eleventh century...
(1497) - Vasco da GamaVasco da GamaVasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
’s travel to India (1499) - the explorations of the Caribbean and South America by ColumbusChristopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
(1492-93, 1493-94, 1498, 1502-04) - visits to the Caribbean and South America by VespucciVespucciVespucci may refer to:*Amerigo Vespucci*Amerigo Vespucci *Ponte Amerigo Vespucci*Simonetta Vespucci...
(1499, 1501-02)
Although there had been maps created after these voyages, such as Juan de la Cosa
Juan de la Cosa
Juan de la Cosa was a Spanish cartographer, conquistador and explorer. He made the earliest extant European world map to incorporate the territories of the Americas that were discovered in the 15th century, sailed first 3 voyages with Christopher Columbus, and was the owner/captain of the Santa...
’s map of the world in 1500 (based on Columbus' second voyage) and the Cantino
Cantino planisphere
The Cantino planisphere is the earliest surviving map showing Portuguese Discoveries in the east and west. It is named after Alberto Cantino, an agent for the Duke of Ferrara, who successfully smuggled it from Portugal to Italy in 1502...
world map (circa 1502), the information on these maps was closely held and guarded as state secrets. Often a limited number of copies were made.
Publicizing the Shape of the World
This situation changed drastically from 1506 to 1507 when three separate efforts to produce world maps were published. The Contarini-Rosselli map of 1506 (now in the British LibraryBritish Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
) and Martin Waldseemüller
Martin Waldseemüller
Martin Waldseemüller was a German cartographer...
's map of the world and globe of 1507 were influential, but not very widely published. There is only one original copy of each in existence, and both of these copies were discovered in the 20th century.
By contrast, Johannes Ruysch
Johannes Ruysch
Johannes Ruysch , a.k.a. Johann Ruijsch or Giovanni Ruisch was an explorer, cartographer, astronomer, manuscript illustrator and painter from the Low Countries who produced a famous map of the world: the second oldest known printed representation of the New World...
's 1507 map of the world was much more widely published and many copies were produced and still exist. It therefore had a very large influence.