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[Fragmented nautical atlas of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa]

Date
1570
Archive
Card library of Catalonia. Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia
Document type
Textual
Reference code
RM.248429
Link to the online document
Description

This handwritten nautical atlas, dated 1570 and attributed to the Majorcan workshop of the Olives, is a cartographic piece of exceptional historical and heritage value. Produced on parchment, this portolà represents in great detail the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa, following the tradition of the Mallorcan school of cartography, one of the most prestigious in the medieval and Renaissance world. Its uniqueness lies in the quality of the stroke, the geographical precision and the decorative richness, but above all in its function as a navigation tool and the transmission of knowledge. This document is witness to the circulation of ideas, techniques and artistic models between European territories, and shows how Catalonia and the Balearic Islands played a key role in the construction of European geographical knowledge. The atlas is a valuable source for studying Mediterranean interconnection and the impact of the Renaissance on the science and art of cartography.