Girolamo Ruscelli (1500-1566), using the pseudonyms
Allessio Piemontese and a Latin version thereof - Alexius Pedemontanus -
typified the Renaissance ideal, being a physician, alchemist and cartographer.
He published numerous books which were translated into Latin, German, French and
Welsh - one of those publications was a version of Ptolemy's Geographia.
Septentrionalium Partium Nova
Tabula
Complete map
Detail showing the fictional
island of Frisland
This map is drawn from the 1561 Edition of Ruscelli's Geographia andis known as the "Zeno" map,
being based on the purported journey of the Italian brother Nicolo and
Antonio Zeno throughout the North Atlantic. Consistent with the
published tale of the Zeno's voyage, Ruscelli's map
shows the fictional islands of Frisland and Icaria, in addition to Estotiland and Drogeo that appear on the edge of the map.
It has been speculated that the contours attributed to Estotiland
and Drogeo may form some of the earliest attempts to represent the eastern
shores of far north America.
Ptolemæi Typus
Complete map
Detail showing Europe and parts of Asia
and Africa
Published in just one edition by Vincenzo Valgrisi in
Venice, this copy of Ptolemæi Typus shows the characteristic feature of
this unique plate from the 1562 edition - the platemark extends beyond the top
of the sheet. That feature resulted from two maps being printed from the same
plate with the resulting sheet cut in half for binding.
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