CARTOGRAPHIE ET HISTOIRE
Luis Filipe F. R. THOMAZ
The image of the Archipelago
in Portuguese cartography
of the 16th and early 17th centuries *
As an aftermath of the great voyages of discovery and as a response to the increasing needs of seafaring and trade, nautical cartography developed very quickly in Portugal from the last quarter of the 15th century onwards. Owing to a geographical knowledge somewhat broader than that of other Europeans, Portuguese cartographers rapidly surpassed their forerunners from Majorca and Italy, who had been the best map-makers of the Middle Ages W. This is undoubtedly the reason that most of the 16th century Portuguese maps are found outside of Portugal: although the exportation of maps, as well as the emigration of pilots, had been forbidden by the King under pain of death, the prohibition was very often disregarded and maps sold to foreign spies and even to curious people who brought them to Italy, France, England, Germany and other parts of Europe. Besides there was a fairly large number of Portuguese map-makers working abroad.
From a strictly technical point of view, Portuguese cartography had already been surpassed by the Dutch in the second half of the sixteenth century, owing chiefly to Mercator's improvements. Nevertheless, as regards topographical information - especially on the East, which throughout that century was scarcely frequented by other Europeans - Portuguese maps remained richer and more accurate than any others. It was for this reason that, for instance, in the last quarter of the century Petrus Plancius gave up his project of drawing a planisphere based on that of Mercator and finally preferred to reproduce Portuguese prototypes.
Map production in Portugal must have been abundant. We know, for instance, that in 1552 there were in Lisbon six workshops, employing 18 persons. Other workshops existed elsewhere, chiefly in Goa. As printing of maps was forbidden, each copy was virtually an unique work; thus, it is very regrettable
[Archipel 49 - Paris, 1995 - pp. 79-124.]
