Genoese World Map
Title
Genoese World Map
Alternative Title
World Map of 1457, Mappa mundi 1457
Description
The Genoese World Map of 1457 is a truly unique example of hybridization of different medieval cartographic styles. While still technically classified as a mappamundi, the Genoese World Map represents what author David Woodward understands it as a “transitory” mappamundi, as it draws on three different strands of medieval cartographic thought: medieval mappaemundi, portolan charts, and Ptolemaic geography. We may not know the author of the Genoese World Map, but the author’s legacy lives on, giving modern viewers a unique glance into the world of medieval cartography.
Upon first viewing the map, most viewers will be quick to notice the unique shape that the world inhabits, resembling an almond or a human eye. This shape is quite unique to maps of this era, and some researchers like Gerda Brunnlecher have analyzed its possible meaning. In a 2013 paper which analyzes the Genoese World Map, Brunnlecher speculates that its almond-like shape could have come about for a variety of reasons. Most notably, she speculates that the map’s almond-like shape could possibly be traced to the concept of the “mandorla,” an almond-shaped outline used in medieval European art to represent divinity. Most frequently, Christ himself is depicted as surrounded by a mandorla, leading Brunnlecher to posit that in the Genoese World Map, “the frame might signify that the world is Christ’s domain.”
Yet, Brunnlecher also writes that the map itself is unique due to its lack of obvious Christian imagery. One defining feature of medieval mappaemundi is their portrayal of both space and time as existing within one defined plane. This can commonly be seen in many mappaemundi through their on-map depictions of the fabled Garden of Paradise, or through the imposition of divine figures (such as angels or Christ himself) outside of the map’s frame. Notably, the Genoese World Map includes neither of these features, and also does not center itself on Jerusalem, as many other mappaemundi do.
The Genoese World Map also places emphasis on conveying supposedly contemporary political knowledge (and legendary tales) through its use of visual imagery paired with Latin text. The Asian section of the map is replete with Mongolian rulers, most notably the “Great Khan” sitting cross-legged in what appears to be China. However, by the time of this map’s production in 1457 the Mongols’ influence over Asia had waned, and the Ming Dynasty had ruled China for nearly a century! This reflects the limits of European knowledge of Asia in the 15th century, which appears outdated to modern readers of the map.
The Genoese World Map also draws on the influence of portolan charts for its depiction of the Mediterranean Sea, which may appear to modern viewers as the “most accurate” section of the map. Portolan charts were commonly used by sailors throughout the era to navigate the often treacherous Mediterranean Sea, and the map’s outline of the Mediterranean can be understood as an inclusion of the portolan chart model in a mappamundi context. Furthermore, the map also features the inclusion of numerous rhumb lines, which were utilized by sailors to help navigate their ships. While the Genoese World Map was unlikely to have been used by sailors in navigation, the inclusion of this information gives us more insight into the mapmaker’s production process and the sources that they utilized.
(Albert Bosler 2025)
Upon first viewing the map, most viewers will be quick to notice the unique shape that the world inhabits, resembling an almond or a human eye. This shape is quite unique to maps of this era, and some researchers like Gerda Brunnlecher have analyzed its possible meaning. In a 2013 paper which analyzes the Genoese World Map, Brunnlecher speculates that its almond-like shape could have come about for a variety of reasons. Most notably, she speculates that the map’s almond-like shape could possibly be traced to the concept of the “mandorla,” an almond-shaped outline used in medieval European art to represent divinity. Most frequently, Christ himself is depicted as surrounded by a mandorla, leading Brunnlecher to posit that in the Genoese World Map, “the frame might signify that the world is Christ’s domain.”
Yet, Brunnlecher also writes that the map itself is unique due to its lack of obvious Christian imagery. One defining feature of medieval mappaemundi is their portrayal of both space and time as existing within one defined plane. This can commonly be seen in many mappaemundi through their on-map depictions of the fabled Garden of Paradise, or through the imposition of divine figures (such as angels or Christ himself) outside of the map’s frame. Notably, the Genoese World Map includes neither of these features, and also does not center itself on Jerusalem, as many other mappaemundi do.
The Genoese World Map also places emphasis on conveying supposedly contemporary political knowledge (and legendary tales) through its use of visual imagery paired with Latin text. The Asian section of the map is replete with Mongolian rulers, most notably the “Great Khan” sitting cross-legged in what appears to be China. However, by the time of this map’s production in 1457 the Mongols’ influence over Asia had waned, and the Ming Dynasty had ruled China for nearly a century! This reflects the limits of European knowledge of Asia in the 15th century, which appears outdated to modern readers of the map.
The Genoese World Map also draws on the influence of portolan charts for its depiction of the Mediterranean Sea, which may appear to modern viewers as the “most accurate” section of the map. Portolan charts were commonly used by sailors throughout the era to navigate the often treacherous Mediterranean Sea, and the map’s outline of the Mediterranean can be understood as an inclusion of the portolan chart model in a mappamundi context. Furthermore, the map also features the inclusion of numerous rhumb lines, which were utilized by sailors to help navigate their ships. While the Genoese World Map was unlikely to have been used by sailors in navigation, the inclusion of this information gives us more insight into the mapmaker’s production process and the sources that they utilized.
(Albert Bosler 2025)
Creator
Unknown
Source
Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Fondata de Giovanni Treccani
Format
Sheet map, 47 x 81 cm
Publisher
Library of Congress, digital facsimile
Date
1457
Medium
Parchment
Contributor
Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Language
Latin
Type
World map
Spatial Coverage
Europe, Asia, Africa
References
Brunnlechner, Gerda. 2022. “The Genoese World Map of 1457: Image and Voice of an Ambiguous World.” Imago Mundi 74 (1): 142–44.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03085694.2022.2044209
Woodward, David. n.d. “Medieval Mappaemundi.” In The History of Cartography, 286-370. Vol. 1. N.p.: The University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/books/HOC/HOC_V1/HOC_VOLUME1_chapter18.pdf.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03085694.2022.2044209
Woodward, David. n.d. “Medieval Mappaemundi.” In The History of Cartography, 286-370. Vol. 1. N.p.: The University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/books/HOC/HOC_V1/HOC_VOLUME1_chapter18.pdf.
Rights
Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
Collection
Citation
Unknown, “Genoese World Map,” Mapping the World, accessed April 30, 2025, https://hist231.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/80.