The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-02-04
Map Made for Amerigo vespuccl
Still in Existence.
Though Drawn Five Hundred Years
Ago Il Is Excellent Production OF
Its klnd-Owned by Roman
Citizen.

Rome.-Sig. Emilio Grossi of Rome
has recently acquired a fifteenth-cen-
fury nautical chart which belonged to
the great Florentine explorer, Ameri-
go Vespuccio, and which is considered
one of the most important and best
preserved marine maps OF the famous
school of chartography of Majorca-
This chart was accidentally discovered
in 1900 at Florence in the family ar
chives of the counts of Montignoso,
and no doubt exists as to its authen-
ITCHY. 1t bears an inscription In Span
ish meaning that Gabriel de Valsequa
made 1t in Majorca In the year 1889.
Very little Is known about Gabriel
de Valsequa or valseca except that he
was native of Majorca and that he
belonged to the school Of chartogra-
ply founded there by the celebrated
Raimendo Lullo toward the beginning
of the fifteenth century and which con-
tinued to flourish until the sixteenth
There are many marine maps In ex-
istence made by valseca's contempora-
ries and countrymen, Jaime Ribes.
Matias de Villadestes and Mateo
Prunes, but only three drawn by Val
SEGA The first Is dated 1447 and It
belonged to the Venetian nobleman d.
N. Barozzi; the second, bearing the
same date, was made to order for the
celebrated Catalan navigator. LAURA.
as 1t has his coat Of arms prominent
" displayed; the third is SO badly dam
aged that 1t cannot be identified.
Evidently Gabriel de valseca was
well known, as his charts fetched good
prices. In fact. Amerigo Vespucci
paid him 100 ducats of gold for this
chart. a sum which corresponds to
about $3.50. Thel Florentine explorer
wrote down in his handwriting on the
chart the amount of money he paid
for It and his autograph. Besides
proving the ownership of the chart it
shows its great value even 500 years
ago.
The chart consists of rectangular
sheet of parchment about forty-three
inches long and twenty-four wide and
it is admirably preserved. The left
border is slightly discolored owing to
an ink stain which is reported to have
been made by George Sand. who .ex.
amined the map at Florence in 1886
and accidentally spilled ink over 1T.
Fortunately the stain has not oblit-
Grated any writing on the parchment.
1t is evident that the chart was
drawn purposely to serve for naviga
ton. In fact all the ports and seaside
cities and towns are carefully noted
down and the coast line is designed
with great exactness, while the inland
cities are neglected and only the
most important are given. The Medit
erranean and the Atlantic ocean are
| left In the natural color of the parch
ment, while the Red sea Is painted
red and the Baltic. the Arabian SEE
and the Persian gulf are distinguished
by undulating blue lines.
The Mediterranean and Black sci
coasts are designed with great exact
ness and are crowded with the name.
of cities. towns and ports. the frs
written in red, the last two In black
The Atlantic coasts Of Spain ant
| France, as well as the southern coas
of England. are very carefully givei
and they contrast with the imperfec
indications of inland regions. Tn
chart Is inclosed on three sides
north. west and south-by a horde
which resembles a cornice.
To the east of the North sea a chair
Of mountains is represented and, de
spite it's mistaken direction. 1t 10 evi
dent that 1t is intended for the IRA
mountains. There are seven cite
marked on the coasts of the Gulf o
Persia. and three on the southern
coast of Arabia: Alden Is marked q
the entrance of the Red sea and 81
other cities On its coasts. In the IN