https://hist231.hist.sites.carleton.edu/files/original/d52c0778be8c5483be7f557b2884de2a.jpg 6ff67e229e846a941a2adad67ba54987 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The Library of Congress is providing access to these materials for educational and research purposes and is not aware of any U.S. copyright protection (see Title 17 of the United States Code) or any other restrictions in the Map Collection materials. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/97690053/">https://www.loc.gov/item/97690053/</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Genoese World Map Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. World Map of 1457, Mappa mundi 1457 Description An account of the resource 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. <br /><br />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.” <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />(Albert Bosler 2025) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Fondata de Giovanni Treccani Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Sheet map, 47 x 81 cm Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Library of Congress, <a href="https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3200.ct002087/?r=0.181,0.258,0.685,0.374,0">digital facsimile</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1457 Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Parchment Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN Language A language of the resource Latin Type The nature or genre of the resource World map Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context <a href="https://bridge.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01BRC_INST/1tn7c8c/alma991018025256902971" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carleton College Special Collections; G3200 1457 .M37 2008</a> Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Europe, Asia, Africa References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. <span>Brunnlechner, Gerda. 2022. “The Genoese World Map of 1457: Image and Voice of an Ambiguous World.” </span><i>Imago Mundi</i><span> 74 (1): 142–44. <br /><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03085694.2022.2044209">https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03085694.2022.2044209</a></span><br /><br />Woodward, David. n.d. “Medieval Mappaemundi.” In The History of Cartography, 286-370. Vol. 1. N.p.: The University of Chicago Press. <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/books/HOC/HOC_V1/HOC_VOLUME1_chapter18.pdf.">https://press.uchicago.edu/books/HOC/HOC_V1/HOC_VOLUME1_chapter18.pdf.</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.