Portolan Charts and Mediterranean Voyages
C. 1570 (Malta)
1 Page (fragment), coloured map on parchment (calfskin); 56 × 40 cm
Notarial Archives of Malta
Notarial Deeds of Natale Parmesciano, vol 29
Portolan charts are perhaps the most iconic cartographic artefacts of the Middle Ages and early modern period. They depict geographical locations around the Mediterranean Sea and were used to assist voyages along its coasts. Portolan charts are striking for the amount of information they contain and the detail of their representation of coastal lines. Although drawn primarily as technical devices to help pilots and sea captains, it is well known that portolan charts were also used for political and diplomatic purposes.
The portolan chart presented here covers the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a fragment of a wider chart, encompassing a larger part of the Mediterranean. It was discovered recently, in 2014, in the inside cover of a collection of documents (Notarial Deeds of Natale Parmesciano). The chart is unsigned and undated. In order to attempt an identification of the author and a probable date for its execution, experts carefully examined its geographical content as well as the place names (toponyms), the style of the handwriting and all visual and graphical clues.
Scholars classified this as a fine example of early modern nautical cartography, probably dating to the 1570s, having studied elements such as the representation of cities and flags, along with the remaining fragments of scales and windroses. The prominent Calabrian cartographer, Domenico Vigliarolo is a credible source - at present there are only eight portolan charts in the world which are signed by or attributed to Vigliarolo, who was active in the final decades of the 16th century.