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A photograph of the Vatican Library.
Roma. Biblioteca Vaticana / Anderson. 1855-1877. Prints and Photographs Division.

Cardinal Borgia’s Unusual Map of the World

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An image of a rare facsimile, printed in the late 18th century, is shown below. The original map was created sometime during the early to mid-1400s by an unknown cartographer. The map is known as the “Borgia map.” The map was named after Cardinal Stefano Borgia, a member of a wealthy family from Velletri, Italy. Cardinal Borgia was a historian and collector of antique manuscripts; he founded the Museo Borgiano in Velletri where he deposited his collection of antiques.

A facsimile of a 15th century world map.
Apographon descriptionis Orbis terrae…Stefano Borgia. 1797. Geography and Map Division.

In 1794 Cardinal Borgia purchased the original map at an antique shop. He brought the  map to his museum in Velletri, it was later transferred to the Vatican Library.

Cardinal Borgia had facsimiles printed from a cast of the original map. Approximately ten facsimiles from the Cardinal’s cast are known to exist today; the one featured in this post is held in the Geography and Map Division.

The original Borgia map was constructed by riveting two heavy round copper plates together. The map is oriented with the south positioned at the top. There are thirty-seven circular holes on the map; the reason for the placement of the holes is a mystery. The outer rim is decorated with numbered diamond shapes. The map’s script indicates that it was created in Germany. Descriptive text is included next to illustrations of humans and animals. Pictured below are details from the Borgia map with a few examples of the  accompanying text. The translated text is from the book A Fifteenth Century Map of the World, written in 1891 by the Swedish author Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld.

“Asia Major. [North Russia] Albani Magna. Here are dogs stronger than lions.”

“Livonia. The land formerly of illustrious women. In this lake…”

“Hyperborean mountains, in which Griffins and tigers dwell.”

“Between the Don and the Volga. Here the Pagans worship fire.”

A detail from the map showing illustrations of people, animals, buildings, ships, and natural features.
Detail from Apographon descriptionis Orbis terrae…Stefano Borgia. 1797. Geography and Map Division.

“Asia Major. [North Russia]. Here the body is put to be preserved by the cold. This race considers itself sacred, and they make of themselves a sacrifice, placing a particular head on a pole by the hair, and then they adore it on their knees until it falls.”

A detail from the map showing illustrations of mountains, animals, people, ships and natural features.
Detail from Apographon descriptionis Orbis terrae…Stefano Borgia. 1797. Geography and Map Division.

“Mare Yrcaneium. [Eastern Asia]. The distant Seres collecting silk from the trees.”

A detail from the map showing two people gathering something from a tree.
Detail from Apographon descriptionis Orbis terrae…Stefano Borgia. 1797. Geography and Map Division.

“Egypt. Alexandria.

Phoenix, the sole most beautiful and solitary bird in the world, burns itself in an aromatic fire, and in three days is recreated from its ashes.

The desert of Egypt, in which are many wild animals.”

An image of the mythical bird Phoenix.
Detail from Apographon descriptionis Orbis terrae…Stefano Borgia. 1797. Geography and Map Division.

Many medieval world maps are oriented to the east, with Jerusalem at the center. The Borgia map is oriented to the south and Jerusalem is not shown on the map. The map may have been made solely for decorative purposes. The Borgia map, engraved on copper and circled with diamond shapes, is truly unique.

Discover more about the Borgia Map:

Comments (2)

  1. This world map,oriented from the South appears to me to be very similar to early Islamic maps. It seems to speak from its world view.

  2. This map reminds me of the 2012 Hajj exhibit by The British Museum in London. There were several beautiful maps, all of them round instead of square, with Mecca instead of Jerusalem at the center of the world. My favorite was in earth tones and a few sections of brilliant blue, dated to approx 1650.

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