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Stock# 94880

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Girolamo Ruscelli

Title

[Greece] Tabula Europae X

Publication Place / Date

Venice / 1574

Image Dimensions

10 x 7.5 inches

Color

Uncolored

Condition

Stock# 94880

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Description

Girolamo Ruscelli's map of ancient Greece, grounded in the work of Claudius Ptolemy, is a straightforward and informative representation of the ancient region. It is a clear and neatly organized document, created with a focused attention to detail.

Ruscelli's map is a translation of the area of today's modern Greece as understood by Ptolemy, the 2nd-century geographer whose ideas on cartography greatly influenced the understanding of the world during the Renaissance. The major regions, cities, and geographical landmarks of Greece are presented according to Ptolemy's original descriptions.

There is little in the way of decorative flourishes or embellishments on the map. The focus is clearly on the conveyance of geographical information. This results in a map that is straightforward and clear in its purpose, providing an insight into the cartographic practices of the Renaissance and the enduring influence of Ptolemy's geographical studies.

Ruscelli's Atlas is an expanded edition of Gastaldi's Atlas of 1548, which has been called the most comprehensive atlas produced between Martin Waldseemüller's Geographiae of 1513, and the Abraham Ortelius Theatrum of 1570. Ruscelli and Gastaldi's maps were beautifully engraved on copper, marking a turning point in the history of cartography. From that point forward, the majority of cartographic works used this medium. As it was a harder material than wood it gave the engraver the ability to render more detail.

Girolamo Ruscelli Biography

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.