Within the Geography and Map Division’s collections are 42 versions of Ptolemy’s Geography, which is a landmark atlas and treatise on geographic knowledge from the 2nd century, and an influential work in the study of geography and cartography thereafter. These versions are atlases published in the 15th and 16th centuries based off of Ptolemy’s original work from around 150 AD. One of these atlases in particular recently caught my attention: the 1535 edition of Ptolemy’s Geography edited by Michael Servetus. Denounced as a heretic in 1553, Servetus was burned at the stake along with many copies of his atlas. This copy is a rare edition that survived the widespread destruction of his works.
Michael Servetus was born in Spain. The year of his birth is unknown, though it is thought to be between 1509 and 1511. He studied medicine in Paris and became a respected and admired physician. He was the first physician in Europe to describe pulmonary circulation. In addition to his work as a physician, he was also knowledgeable in geography, as well as many other sciences.