The Largest World Map of the Renaissance

The Renaissance version of the world map was exhibited by David Rumsey Map Center in September 2017. The map has pages with two-dimensional visual offerings and invites people to see the world.

The uniqueness of the map is not only pictures of islands or continents, but there are illustrations of mythical creatures such as pegasus, human-headed horses or centaurs, mermaids and grifon or imaginary animals, in several locations on the map.

"This is the largest world map made during the Renaissance, at the beginning of the modern era," said David Rumsey, a map collector.

The process of digitizing Monte's map works begins when the David Rumsey Map Center obtains a map containing three original and original documents belonging to Monte. The researchers then compiled a page on a map such as compiling a text into a book.

When the researcher found a clue that contained Monte's wishes about how the map should be seen. Then by scanning per page, scientists can arrange a 3 × 3 meter digital scale, like what Monte wanted.

"The idea is to be able to put it together and hang it on the wall with a hole in the middle, so you can really see it like a disc," Mohammed said. This map became the largest world map made in the Renaissance.

Meanwhile, historians note that Monte was a wealthy nobleman. Monte pursued the art of making maps or cartography since the age of 41. Urbano Monte lived in Italy (1544-1613).

When he was 35, Monte married Margarita Niguarda, who was 18 years old at the time. They are blessed with five children. Monte's wealth does not require him to work like an ordinary citizen.

Based on information from the David Rumsey Map Center, Monte spends his time hunting books to be collected in his famous library and studying science.

One of the triggers of Monte being interested in becoming a cartographer was when he first visited the Japanese embassy which stood in Europe in 1585.

It was Japanese geography that attracted Monte's heart and based on information in Monte's atlas, at that time the "mural map" was also just becoming a decoration trend in Italy.

Monte began the project of painting atlases by relying on contemporary sources and consolidating with geographical knowledge, added Mohammed.

Then, how can images of mythical creatures appear on the map?

Mohammed explained that the projection of the mythical creature does look strange in the present, but this is quite reasonable in his day.

"Another interesting thing, Monte draw a larger Japanese island in the map. He draws islands in Japan horizontally rather than vertically. "This actually shows the closeness and knowledge about the Land of the Rising Sun," said Mohammed.

Now, people can see the actual manuscripts, printed copies and digital versions on touch screens at Stanford University, where scientists study these rare maps.

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