Caverio map

The Caveri card, also known as Caverio or Canerio card was drawn by Nicolo de Caveri 1503-1505, being mainly assumed for the year 1505 the completion date. The different designations are based on the lack of clarity as to the exact name of the cartographer. In this article, the spelling Caveri is used.

Genesis

More details about the origin of the map is unknown. It is believed that it was either in Lisbon, as another copy of Portuguese maps, or in Genoa, on the basis of already existing Italian cards as the Cantino planisphere - drawn. For the latter, is the fact that the Cantino'sche card had arrived from Italy in 1502. It may tackle well continue watching the Caveri card as authority for the proposition of a knowledge transfer Portuguese-Spanish know-how towards the Italian trading republics and in the German-speaking countries. The circumstances of the origin in the Iberian Peninsula and the interests in northern Italy speak for the first part of the thesis. For the second part is the fact that the knowledge of the Portuguese- Spanish discoveries was not to obtain readily that for an indirect transfer - can be cited of Italy - so detour. The Caveri card is actually a significant source of Waldseemüller's map into consideration.

Noteworthy is the representation of the southern part of the east coast of North America. According to one view can be striking similarities of the coastline shown with today's map of Florida up to the Delaware or Hudson find, even if it may seem unattainable. Because that would be the dating of the map, on the latest in 1505, contradicting other historical sources. According to the prevailing view, the first Europeans sighted this shore or entered were: Ponce de León - in 1512 or 1513 - Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1523, Lucas Vásquez de Ayllón - 1520-1524 - and Esteban Gómez - in the year 1525.

Is three possibilities:

Taking into account that many Spanish sailors has lost on the way to the New World from the course and at some point encountered when traveling west on North American mainland, and afterwards was able to report it, so the combination of the latter two approaches can at least to a certain idea of have led such a coast line which can be found already in the Cantino'schen card.

Description

The card is rectangular, measuring 225 x 115 cm, was hand-drawn on parchment and is colored. The coloration appears less intense than for example in the Cantino planisphere -; However, there was no skimping on a red coloration of the Red Sea.

On the back there is a signature that " Nicolay de Caveri Januensis " or something similar is.

Cartographic details

Greenland is relatively well made. The presentation of the coast of the area which is now securely identified as Newfoundland is not clear the " Indian " assigned areas, but locates southwest of Greenland. It is classified with big green trees. The representation corresponds to the Cantino planisphere -

In southeastern Florida, the West Indies, see, according to the legend, " The Antilles king of Castile ", with Hispaniola and Isabela (Cuba ). In the West, a golf place (later Gulf of Mexico) with numerous islands. According to other sources, this area was not yet discovered at the time of the Spaniards. The coastline of the Yucatan is similar to the already known form today, but seems to be being considered as a separate island. Most of this area is not found in the few years older Cantino planisphere -.

The drawing of South America for the most part is probably based on the results of the expeditions of Amerigo Vespucci and Fernando de Noronha 1502-1504. The interior of Brazil is represented by hills, green trees and red parrots, reminiscent of the map Cantinos.

The coast of Africa is described with great precision ( a giraffe, a lion and an elephant characterize the interior of the continent ). The legends, which refer to Calcutta and Cochin, describe the trade in the ports of India. Nevertheless, the form of the Red Sea is less precisely drawn than in the Cantino planisphere -.

History of the map

The map was first described in 1890 and published two years later. She is currently in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris.