Majorca In The Medieval World

A society is defined by its willingness to persistently search for knowledge, and push its boundaries further. This idea was evident in the Medieval world, in which Europeans were constantly striving for exploration and new trade routes. Majorca, the largest Balearic Island, was taken by the Crown of Aragon/Cataluña in the thirteenth century, and provided much revenue through its prime location as a cosmopolitan city in which Christian, Muslim, and Jewish travelers, merchants, and navigators explored. Abraham Cresques, born in 1325 to a wealthy family in Palma, Majorca, added to the custom of cartography in Majorca, emerging as a leading cartographer of his time. Cresques and his son Jehuda were the men behind the Catalan Atlas of 1375, a novel
Comprised in a binded book format, the first four of the twelve half-sheets in the atlas were dedicated to discourses on cosmography, meteorology, astronomy, and astrology, which were used by a variety of people in their fields. Particularly, in the astronomy section existed the earliest surviving set of lunar tide tables, which let navigators and astronomers understand the oscillating tides of the ocean, and understand when to sail. Likewise, the eight half-sheets at the end of the atlas, consisting of a world map, also contained many practical details. Unlike maps of the past, the Catalan Atlas contained a plethora of details, with 2,300 names, rivers, mountains, cities, and animals noted. Rhumb lines, or imaginary lines splitting the earth into equivalent angles, were also present on the map, which would make it easier to locate a destination and subsequently eased the communication in navigation. Even traders could use the map, as trade routes from the Sahara all the way to the Far East were outlined. The Catalan Atlas touched upon minute details which allowed it to be approachable by a variety of people, which was one of its greatest
The Catalan Atlas introduced the first ever compass rose, or indicator of directions, depicted on a map, which proved to be a useful guide for navigators and explorers to understand in what direction they were moving, and communicate easier. Also, the European panels of the Catalan Atlas were done in a Catalan portolan, which displayed sailing directions using charts and descriptions of harbors and coasts. While taking inspiration from the previous maps, the Catalan atlas revolutionized cartography by including such a vast variety of information. Even descriptive notes in addition to illustrations of topographical and maritime details were found in the atlas, which emerged as a boiling pot of knowledge. The Catalan Atlas influenced numerous future atlases and maps, with the subsequent period of time from the late fourteenth century till the late sixteenth century known as the “Age of Discovery,” in which explorers pursued numerous missions, such as Zuane Pizzigano’s chart of 1424 a few decades later. Drawing from the Catalan Atlas, Pizzigano’s chart made the Portuguese maritime trips to the Atlantic possible, and similar maps created around that time were used by European, Ottoman, and Chinese explorers used similar maps for navigation. The Catalan Atlas truly left its imprint in the