Bordone, Benedetto
1534

Very early map of Cadiz, Spain and the Azores, Portugal

Very early map of Cadiz, Spain and the Azores, Portugal

DESCRIPTION: One of the earliest printed Azore Island maps (and another map of Cadiz, Spain) on a single sheet. Published from Venice in 1534 in the second edition of Benedetto di Bordone's nautical "Isolario", or Island Book.

The Isolario provided nautical-chart inspired maps of islands alongside information for travellers on their culture, myths, climate, and history.

A fine and original early nautical map of the Azores islands, in the Atlantic Ocean about 850 miles west of Portugal. Three islands on Bordonne's Azores map can be traced to their present-day equivalents: "S. Maria" (Santa Maria), "S. Georgio" (Sao Jorge), and "Samguimi" (Sao Miguel). Also shows the mythical islands of "Asmaida" and "Brasil" or Hy-Brazil as is is called in modern cartographic literature. Brasil island was long imagined to be located somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Ireland. Brasil appears on several manuscript Portolani from the 14th and 15th century by Angelino Dulcert (1325), Andrea Bianco (1436) and others. Over almost 200 years several expeditions to find the Brasil were conducted by John Cabot, John Jay and others but as it was only an imaginary island the explorations failed.

Bordone's map of Cadiz, Spain (verso) is very interesting for its early place in the evolution of the cartography of that region. This map is almost cartoon-like in its simplicity. With the "Stretto de Gibilterra" defining the right limit of the map, and the "Regno de Castiglia" above, Cadiz is shown as a simple crescent shape slightly separated from the mainland. Towns that Bordone noted include "Gades" (Cadiz) , Turs, Tola, and S. Maria.

Bordone (1460-1531) was a Paduan cartographer, and an illustrator of manuscripts, best known for his 'Isolario' or book of islands. Bordone's work was only the second isolario ever printed, the first being that of Bartolommeo Dalli Sonneti published in 1485. Text in Italian.

CREATOR: Bordone, Benedetto

PUBLICATION DATE: 1534

GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Portugal

BODY OF WATER: Atlantic Ocean

CONDITION: Very good.  Image is clean on a full sheet of chain-laid paper. A few finger smudges in the margins. One marginal note in ink. No major condition issues.

COLORING: None

ENGRAVER: 

SIZE: 5 " x 6 "

ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 4

PRICE: $575

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