GEOGRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THE WORLD IN 1478

Printed in Rome in 1478, The “Cosmographia” by Claudius Ptolemaeus, an ancient Greek astronomer, mathematician, and geographer, is a monumental publication that transformed cartography. As a result of this work, geographical knowledge in Europe during the Renaissance was significantly advanced. The “Cosmographia” contains a wealth of geographical knowledge including detailed mapping of the known world, geographic feature descriptions, and instructions for how to create maps. This edition is also significant because of its impact on the history of printing; it showcases the capabilities of the printing press in distributing knowledge and shaping intellectual discourse. The illustration depicted above is one of the major maps from the book. This is essentially a large map of the entire known world during this period. As you can see, Ptolemaeus was able to put together a fairly accurate depiction of the geography and topography of places such as Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.

by Matthew Walter, Engineering Science Student, Class of 2025

Claudius Ptolemaeus
Cosmographia Roma, 1478
Publisher N.V, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, 1966