A 1311 portolan chart of the east Mediterranean represents the oldest signed and dated nautical map preserved from the medieval era. Its creator, Pietro Vesconte, established professional standards for cartography in the fourteenth century by consistently marking his nautical charts with his signature and date, influencing mapmakers across Italy and Catalonia for generations.
Professional Cartography in the Fourteenth Century
Active between 1310 and 1330, Vesconte operated primarily out of Venice despite his origins in the Republic of Genoa. He served as a pioneer in the development of portolan charts, which relied on detailed rhumbline networks to provide maritime guidance. His work is notable for increasing the accuracy of Mediterranean and Black Sea depictions, while also refining the coastal outlines of northern Europe, specifically Britain and Ireland.
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Vesconte advanced the utility of cartography through the production of signed, multi-sheet atlases. Between 1313 and 1321, he produced at least four distinct atlases where individual sheets functioned as components of a cohesive nautical chart. These documents, held in collections ranging from the Bibliothèque Nationale de France to the Museo Correr in Venice, often included calendars alongside navigational data. A 1318 atlas housed in Vienna contains ten distinct sheets covering regions from the Adriatic Sea to the Spanish and French Atlantic coasts.
Contributions to the Liber Secretorum
Vesconte applied his technical expertise to the genre of the mappa mundi, integrating nautical precision into circular world maps. He provided a world map, nautical atlas, a plan of Jerusalem, and a map of the Holy Land for Marino Sanuto’s work, Liber secretorum fidelium crucis. This project intended to stimulate support for a new crusade. Three copies of this work survive, dated between 1320 and 1325, containing maps attributed to his hand or direct supervision.
The Identity of Perrino Vesconte
Historical records contain a 1321 atlas and a 1327 portolan chart signed by the name Perrino Vesconte. Scholars suggest this name refers to the same individual using a diminutive form of Pietro, though it may represent a younger relative. The 1327 chart is held by the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence, marking the final dated work associated with this family name during the explorer's active period.
Fast facts
- Born: 1300, Genoa
- Died: 1400
- Primary Occupation: Cartographer
- Active Years: 1310–1330
- Oldest Signed Chart: 1311, East Mediterranean
- Notable Patron: Marino Sanuto
Questions readers ask
What is a portolan chart?
It is a nautical chart based on compass directions and estimated distances between ports, often featuring a network of rhumb lines.
Why is Vesconte considered a pioneer in cartography?
He was the first professional mapmaker to regularly sign and date his work, and he introduced higher levels of coastal accuracy to medieval world maps.
Achievements
- Recorded as cartographer
