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This fascinating regional map first published in 1561 by Girolamo Ruscelli, offers a detailed view of Western Europe through a Ptolemaic lens, primarily focusing on France and extending to the Low Countries and western Germany. The map spans from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rhine River and along the Mediterranean coast, reflecting the geographical knowledge of Ptolemy.
The regions depicted—Gallia Belgica, Germania Inferior, Germania Superior, Narbonensis, Aquitania, and Lugdunensis—correspond to the territorial divisions of the Roman Empire. Gallia Belgica includes parts of present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and regions of northern France and western Germany. Germania Inferior and Germania Superior, meaning Lower and Upper Germany, cover areas in modern Belgium and Germany. Narbonensis, situated in southern France, derives its name from the ancient capital Narbo Martius (now Narbonne), a significant commercial center in Roman times. Aquitania, similar to the historical region of Aquitaine in southwestern France, stretches from the Pyrenees to the Loire River. Lugdunensis, named after its capital Lugdunum (modern Lyon), is located in central France.
Ruscelli's map is part of the Renaissance cartographic tradition, which aimed to refine classical knowledge with new discoveries and improved geographic and projection techniques. His work represents a crucial period of transition from ancient to modern cartography, making it a valuable piece for historical study.
Girolamo Ruscelli (1500-1566) was a cartographer, humanist, and scholar from Tuscany. Ruscelli was a prominent writer and editor in his time, writing about a wide variety of topics including the works of Giovanni Boccaccio and Francesco Petrarch, Italian language, Italian poetry, medicine, alchemy, and militia. One of his most notable works was a translation of Ptolemy’s Geographia which was published posthumously.
There is limited information available about Ruscelli’s life. He was born in the Tuscan city of Viterbo to a family of modest means. He was educated at the University of Padua and moved between Rome and Naples until 1548, when he moved to Naples to work in a publishing house as a writer and proofreader. He remained in the city until his death in 1566.
