PIRI REIS : The enigmatic map

As early as the XIII-th century, exceptional geographical maps appeared in Italy that were called portolans.This name comes from the Italian "portolano" which designates a nautical instruction book, because they have been considered from the beginning as nautical charts. They were then studied by the first humanists. The incessant work of the monks in the scriptoriums of the monasteries allowed their diffusion throughout Europe. Their extraordinary story is told here, restoring the truth about their origins. The more recent portolans are, the more false they are. Yves Lebigan will explain the reasons for this amazing finding, while highlighting the incredible accuracy of the oldest known cards. The ignorance of the copyists in the field of geography, although quite understandable, was at the origin of many errors in the drawings. But the pieces of cards they often assembled clumsily came from very precise maps whose origin is unknown. We will study in detail some selected maps among the oldest and most representative. The Pisan map, the portolan of Dulcert, the Catalan Atlas, the portolan of Mehemet Reis and the mysterious map of Piri Reis will give you their secrets here . Symbols of power and glory for those who once held them, they have become useless today. Formerly objects of greed, intrigue and profit, they serve only to fuel the dreams of visitors to museums and libraries. Their fascinating beauty hides a surprising reality that is unveiled as you read. Read more