Cartographic Invention: The Southern Continent on Vatican MS Urb. Lat. 274, Folios 73v–74r (c.1530)

Abstract

The largely unstudied anonymous manuscript world map of c.1530 that is Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana MS Urb. Lat. 274, folios 73v-74r, has a hypothetical southern continent. This unusual feature forms an extravagant ring of land around the South Pole and is full of toponyms despite its designation as Terra Incognita. This paper includes a discussion of the map's toponyms in the known world and provides a comprehensive transcription and analysis of those of the southern continent. Many of the latter names seem to have been pure invention on the part of the mapmaker, but some are identical with those given by Columbus to features in Central America during his Fourth Voyage to the New World. The reasons for the placement of New World toponyms on the land to the south of Asia are discussed.

America’s Name Baptized on a Globe in 1510. Leonardo da Vinci’s Blueprint for the Jagiellonian Armillary Sphere Discovered.

“…In addition, several rivers flow to the East from these mountains into the unnamed Indian Ocean. This is in contrast to the mythical island named DIAB which was separated from South Africa by a channel (Van Duzer, 2007). King defined the bifocal location of the name of America and cites the famous contemporary German Cartographer Martin Waldseemüller (King, 2014).…”

“…The name and geographical location are based on Pliny and Bacon (King, 2011). Roger Bacon quoted Pliny erroneously with regard to the geographic location of the Regno Patalis, locating it South of the Capricorn (Van Duzer, 2007). The interest in this discourse lies in the fact that Bacon's southern relocation may be reflected in the large anonymous island engraved on the da Vinci Globe and cast on the Lenox Globe.…”

MODERNIDAD, HISTORICIDAD Y CONSTRUCCIÓN DE TERRITORIALIDADES DESDE UN PASAJE-MUNDO. El ESTRECHO DE MAGALLANES TRAS SU “DESCUBRIMIENTO”

“…57 El tema de los inventos, aciertos y superposiciones dentro de una misma cartografía han sido trabajados en numerosos estudios. Uno de ellos, que toma la zona de la terra australis y que nos permite adentrarnos en ello, es el de Chet Van Duzer (2007 Del mismo modo, se podría interpretar que la territorialidad del secreto fue una puesta en práctica del propio pensamiento utópico que se había forjado durante los primeros años del siglo XVI. Con esto nos referimos puntualmente a la obra de Tomás Moro, que ya había creado y consolidado una puesta en escena del tema del secreto en forma de no lugar -en 1516-, inspirado en informaciones reales aportadas por viajeros como Américo Vespucio.…”