Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
The cosmic and religious context is emphasised by large circles above the map, which con-
tain calendars of Golden Numbers to calculate Easter and Epact Numbers to fix lunar years.
These start in 1603 and could be used until 1621, so this was a product with a limited life ex-
pectancy. One of the calendars was made by Aluise Rosaccio, perhaps a relative of Giuseppe.
The map itself was made, a note at the lower edge states, 'in casa del Signior Francesco Roba-
cioli'. This house or workshop was in Brescia, a town in Lombardy, northern Italy, about 100
miles west of Venice. The address comes from the right-hand missing text sheet, dated 1602.
The map shows what was known of the world at that time. Places such as Tartary, Arabia
Felix and Barbaria have the ring of antiquity to our ears. The outlines of countries are gener-
alised
and their placement approximate. North America, in so far as it was known, was then
called New France. At left above the Tropic of Cancer lies the semi-mythical Strait of Anian,
a supposed end of the long-sought Northwest Passage. Nothing was known above Green-
land and Novaya Zemlya, north of Russia, or below Indonesia. Tierra del Fuego, the southern
tip of South America, is shown as part of what was believed to be a vast southern contin-
ent across the lower edge of the map. Across this hypothetical space and the seas are drawn
beasts, birds and sea creatures; a strange mixture of the dragon-like or mythical, and the
simply wild.
This now very rare map was found among papers of Sir Joseph Williamson, Keeper of
State Papers 1661-1702, a Secretary of State and an antiquarian. His collection was made
from official records and from private sources, so it is difficult to say exactly why this map is
in the archives. The collecting instinct appears to have by chance preserved this map down to
our times. Its rarity reminds us that, just because a map was printed, even in some numbers,
this did not necessarily ensure its survival.
