Portuguese nautical chart (1472) by (s.n)Original Source: Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, Módena, 2003
Reproduction of a nautical chart hand-drawn by Portuguese cartographers in the second half of the 15th century. The original is kept at the Biblioteca Estense Universitaria library in Modena, Italy.
The chart's exclusively coastal place names are in Portuguese, showing the results of Portugal's explorations along the coast of Africa before the Americas were discovered in 1492.
Some territories are marked with flags, indicating the landing sites used by Fernão Gomes between 1471 and 1472, during his expedition along the African coast all the way to Guinea.
The cities of Lisbon and Ceuta stand out, represented by buildings and walled areas.
It also includes part of the Atlantic Ocean, with the islands so far discovered: The Azores …
… Madeira, the Canaries …
… and Cape Verde.
The nautical chart is oriented with a number of 32-point roses, with the main rose positioned in the center.
Text: Adaptation of the Spanish National Geographic Institute Library (BIGN) text for the catalog "The maps and the first world tour".
