Terrestrial globe

Globes have been used ever since ancient times to represent the sky and the Earth. Celestial globes depicting the positions of the stars in the sky make it easier to recognize the constellations, while terrestrial globes show the continents, rivers, mountain ranges, and seas as viewed through the eyes and the knowledge of the times. Although the Greeks knew already that the Earth is spherical, this was universally recognized only in the first half of the 16th century, after Magellan’s voyage. It was actually the great geographical explorations – the discovery of America, in particular – that encouraged the diffusion of terrestrial globes. Specialized workshops were established where manufacturers, like the Dutch Janszoon Willem Blaeuw (1571—1638) or the Italians Silvestro Amanzio Moroncelli and Vincenzo Coronelli, created pairs of celestial and terrestrial globes. The refinement of the techniques employed and the skill of the builders make these objects both instruments of knowledge and works of art at the same time.very strong, precise and easy to read.