Author Description

The discovery of a sailing route around Cape Horn brought the exotic spices of the Maluku Islands closer to Europeans, yet its interest was not just commercial. Speculations about the exact nature of the sea area south of the 50th parallel could be dismissed, whereby safe navigation also became possible. Cartography in the 16th century developed rapidly as a result of the many exploratory voyages in that time, which in turn produced trustworthy navigational charts by the beginning of the 18th century, not to mention a new global view. With their imaginative decorations and refined use of colour, the maps reproduced in this book are now rare and treasured historical markers.