Chart of the Mediterranean Sea. 16th-century Spanish portolan chart of the Mediterranean Sea and its coastlines, with north at right. Features include the Black Sea, and the coasts of western and southern Europe and northern Africa. The chart includes coastal place names, several large wind roses, two scale bars, and many illustrations. The illustrations includes the King of Spain and the King of France, along with other major rulers in Europe, Africa and Asia. Portolan charts are maritime maps used for navigation. The lines on the map are rhumb lines, designed to make it easier to steer a straight course. This chart, produced in pen-and-ink and goauche by Mateus Prunes (active 1553-1599), was published in 1559. |