Domenico and Francesco Pizzigano
Encyclopedia
Domenico and Francesco Pizzigano, known as the Pizzigani brothers, were 14th C. Venetian
cartographers. Their surname is sometimes given as Pizigano (only one 'z') in older sources.
Pizzigani brothers are principally known for the construction of a portolan chart
, signed and dated 1367, currently held by the Biblioteca Palatina
of Parma
(Ms.Parm.1612). Measuring 138 by 92 cm, it is one of the largest maps of that era.
There is some controversy over the authorship. The note on the edge of the map, states (in one reading): ""MCCCLXVII. Hoc opus compoxuid franciscus pizigano veneciar et domnus pizigano In Venexia meffecit marcus die XII decembris.". The common assumption is that this refers to two brothers, Francesco Pizzigano and Domenico Pizzigano. Among the various alternative hypothesis is that Francesco was the son of Demonico, rather than his brother (and that Domenico might be dead by this date); that 'domnus' is a title for a priest, that the proper first name of the second author is Marco, that a close reading of the authorship note seems more like 'rardus' – or (Ge)rardus, Gerardo; that there might be three brothers (Francesco, Domenico, Marco/Gerardo), etc. It was customary to refer to the brothers as the Pizigani (one z), until the discovery of the 1424 map of Zuane Pizzigano in the 20th century suggested a re-spelling to a double z.
The Pizzigani portolan of 1367 is notable for going beyond the normal geographical boundaries of contemporary maps (Mediterranean and Black Seas) to include large swathes of the Atlantic Ocean, the northerly Scandinavian peninsula and the Baltic and Caspian Seas.
The 1367 Pizzigani chart gives an expanded depiction of the Canary Islands, showing eight of them, reflecting the knowledge accumulated since the 1339 Angelino Dulcert
chart. It also includes the fantasy island
s of Brasil (in the open ocean, with ships and dragons of Arab legend depicted around it). North of the real Canaries, the Pizzigani brothers also depicted a fictional cluster of Fortunate Islands, intended to capture St. Brendan's Island
, graced by an image of St. Brendan himself in monastic garb. The Pizzigani map is also the first in which the mythical Isle of Mam (southwest of Ireland) makes its first appearance.
Some historians once believed the legendary island of Antillia
, made famous in many 15th C. portolan charts, was first insinuated cartographically in the 1367 Pizigani brothers chart. On the western edge of the map, although there is no island depicted or mentioned, there is a disk with a picture of a man with hand outstretched, and an inscription, which some have read as saying "Here are statues which stand before the shores of Atullia (ante ripas Atulliae) and which have been set up for the safety of sailors; for beyond is the vile sea, which sailors cannot navigate". Some scholars, especially in the 19th century, believed this Atullia was the first reference to "Antillia" on a map (e.g. Buache, Kretschmer, Nordenskiöld) but this reading has been doubted since. Crone (1938) read it as ante ripas Getuliae (Getulia). Beginning with Hennig (1945), the inscription has been commonly read as at temps Arcules or ante templum Arcules (from the time/temple of Hercules
)., almost doubtlessly a reference to the Pillars of Hercules
, the non plus ultra of ancient navigation, as transmitted via Arab sources, e.g. al-Masudi
speaks of the "copper idols" of "King Hercules the Giant" marking the edge of the Green Sea of Darkness, al-Idrisi places the marker 'idols' on islands away from the straits.
The 1367 map also provides one of the first clear European depictions of the legendary "River of Gold" in west Africa. This is the "western Nile" described by Arabic sources, notably the geographers al-Bakri and al-Idrisi. The western Nile is essentially the Senegal River
and the Niger River
, which were long assumed to be connected to each other, flowing through the gold-producing heart of the Mali Empire
. The Pizzigani brothers called it the "Palolus" river, and place its source at a large lake in the "Mountains of the Moon
" in the east (from which the Egyptian Nile
was also believed to stem). The Pizzigani show the river running west, pouring into the Atlantic Ocean somewhere south of "Caput finis Gozola" (Cape Non). The Pizzigani brothers place the actual gold mines on a river island which they call the "island of Palola" (probably the Buré gold district, which surrounded by branches of the upper Niger River, was mistaken for a river island).
The Pizzigani map also makes note of the legend of Prester John
, noting that so much gold was found there, that it was even used to tile the roofs of houses and forge the weapons of his soldiers.
The 1424 Pizzigano Map
is attributed to Venetian cartographer Zuane Pizzigano, who is believed to be related to Domenico and Francesco Pizzigano (possibly a son of one of them).
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
cartographers. Their surname is sometimes given as Pizigano (only one 'z') in older sources.
1367 Chart
]Pizzigani brothers are principally known for the construction of a portolan chart
Portolan chart
Portolan charts are navigational maps based on realistic descriptions of harbours and coasts. They were first made in the 14th century in Italy, Portugal and Spain...
, signed and dated 1367, currently held by the Biblioteca Palatina
Biblioteca Palatina
The Biblioteca Palatina , established in Parma in the year 1761 by Philip Bourbon, Duke of Parma. It is located in Piazzale Pilotta. The Palatina Library was named after Apollus Palatinus.- Collection :...
of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
(Ms.Parm.1612). Measuring 138 by 92 cm, it is one of the largest maps of that era.
There is some controversy over the authorship. The note on the edge of the map, states (in one reading): ""MCCCLXVII. Hoc opus compoxuid franciscus pizigano veneciar et domnus pizigano In Venexia meffecit marcus die XII decembris.". The common assumption is that this refers to two brothers, Francesco Pizzigano and Domenico Pizzigano. Among the various alternative hypothesis is that Francesco was the son of Demonico, rather than his brother (and that Domenico might be dead by this date); that 'domnus' is a title for a priest, that the proper first name of the second author is Marco, that a close reading of the authorship note seems more like 'rardus' – or (Ge)rardus, Gerardo; that there might be three brothers (Francesco, Domenico, Marco/Gerardo), etc. It was customary to refer to the brothers as the Pizigani (one z), until the discovery of the 1424 map of Zuane Pizzigano in the 20th century suggested a re-spelling to a double z.
The Pizzigani portolan of 1367 is notable for going beyond the normal geographical boundaries of contemporary maps (Mediterranean and Black Seas) to include large swathes of the Atlantic Ocean, the northerly Scandinavian peninsula and the Baltic and Caspian Seas.
The 1367 Pizzigani chart gives an expanded depiction of the Canary Islands, showing eight of them, reflecting the knowledge accumulated since the 1339 Angelino Dulcert
Angelino Dulcert
Angelino Dulcert , probably also the same person known as Angelino de Dalorto , and who's real name was probably Angelino de Dulceto or Dulceti or possibly Angelí Dolcet, was an Italian-Majorcan cartographer....
chart. It also includes the fantasy island
Phantom island
Phantom islands are islands that were believed to exist, and appeared on maps for a period of time during recorded history, but were later removed after they were proved to be nonexistent...
s of Brasil (in the open ocean, with ships and dragons of Arab legend depicted around it). North of the real Canaries, the Pizzigani brothers also depicted a fictional cluster of Fortunate Islands, intended to capture St. Brendan's Island
St. Brendan's Island
Situated somewhere west of Northern Africa, St. Brendan’s Isle is a phantom island often regarded as myth, since, unless it is the so-called "Eighth Canary Island" known since time immemorial to the Spanish and Portuguese authorities as San Borondón, only a few have claimed to have seen it.In the...
, graced by an image of St. Brendan himself in monastic garb. The Pizzigani map is also the first in which the mythical Isle of Mam (southwest of Ireland) makes its first appearance.
Some historians once believed the legendary island of Antillia
Antillia
Antillia is a legendary island that was reputed, during the 15th century age of exploration, to lie in the Atlantic Ocean, far to the west of Portugal and Spain...
, made famous in many 15th C. portolan charts, was first insinuated cartographically in the 1367 Pizigani brothers chart. On the western edge of the map, although there is no island depicted or mentioned, there is a disk with a picture of a man with hand outstretched, and an inscription, which some have read as saying "Here are statues which stand before the shores of Atullia (ante ripas Atulliae) and which have been set up for the safety of sailors; for beyond is the vile sea, which sailors cannot navigate". Some scholars, especially in the 19th century, believed this Atullia was the first reference to "Antillia" on a map (e.g. Buache, Kretschmer, Nordenskiöld) but this reading has been doubted since. Crone (1938) read it as ante ripas Getuliae (Getulia). Beginning with Hennig (1945), the inscription has been commonly read as at temps Arcules or ante templum Arcules (from the time/temple of Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
)., almost doubtlessly a reference to the Pillars of Hercules
Pillars of Hercules
The Pillars of Hercules was the phrase that was applied in Antiquity to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar is the Rock of Gibraltar in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar...
, the non plus ultra of ancient navigation, as transmitted via Arab sources, e.g. al-Masudi
Al-Masudi
Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Mas'udi , was an Arab historian and geographer, known as the "Herodotus of the Arabs." Al-Masudi was one of the first to combine history and scientific geography in a large-scale work, Muruj adh-dhahab...
speaks of the "copper idols" of "King Hercules the Giant" marking the edge of the Green Sea of Darkness, al-Idrisi places the marker 'idols' on islands away from the straits.
The 1367 map also provides one of the first clear European depictions of the legendary "River of Gold" in west Africa. This is the "western Nile" described by Arabic sources, notably the geographers al-Bakri and al-Idrisi. The western Nile is essentially the Senegal River
Sénégal River
The Sénégal River is a long river in West Africa that forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania.The Sénégal's headwaters are the Semefé and Bafing rivers which both originate in Guinea; they form a small part of the Guinean-Malian border before coming together at Bafoulabé in Mali...
and the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
, which were long assumed to be connected to each other, flowing through the gold-producing heart of the Mali Empire
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
. The Pizzigani brothers called it the "Palolus" river, and place its source at a large lake in the "Mountains of the Moon
Mountains of the Moon (Africa)
The term Mountains of the Moon or Montes Lunae referred to a mountain range in central Africa that is the source of the White Nile.- Ancient testimony :...
" in the east (from which the Egyptian Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
was also believed to stem). The Pizzigani show the river running west, pouring into the Atlantic Ocean somewhere south of "Caput finis Gozola" (Cape Non). The Pizzigani brothers place the actual gold mines on a river island which they call the "island of Palola" (probably the Buré gold district, which surrounded by branches of the upper Niger River, was mistaken for a river island).
The Pizzigani map also makes note of the legend of Prester John
Prester John
The legends of Prester John were popular in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries, and told of a Christian patriarch and king said to rule over a Christian nation lost amidst the Muslims and pagans in the Orient. Written accounts of this kingdom are variegated collections of medieval...
, noting that so much gold was found there, that it was even used to tile the roofs of houses and forge the weapons of his soldiers.
Other charts
In addition to the 1367 chart (Biblioteca Palatina of Parma, Ms.Parm.1612), the Pizzigani brothers are believed to be responsible for four other maps:- (Domenico Pizzigano alone): small map of Palestine and Syria, dated 1350, fascimile held by the Bibliothèque nationale de FranceBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
in Paris (Ge F 2428). - (Francesco Pizzigano alone): portolan chartPortolan chartPortolan charts are navigational maps based on realistic descriptions of harbours and coasts. They were first made in the 14th century in Italy, Portugal and Spain...
of the Mediterranean, dated 1373, held by the Biblioteca AmbrosianaBiblioteca AmbrosianaThe Biblioteca Ambrosiana is a historic library in Milan, Italy, also housing the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Ambrosian art gallery. Named after Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan, it was founded by Cardinal Federico Borromeo , whose agents scoured Western Europe and even Greece and Syria for books...
in Milan (SP10,29). - (attributed to Pizzigani): an anonymous and undated portolan chart (c.1375–1400) held by the Biblioteca Civica CorrerMuseo CorrerThe Museo Correr is the civic museum of Venice, located in the Piazza San Marco, and is entered by the ceremonial stairway in the Ala Napoleonica at the western end of the Piazza opposite the church of San Marco at the other end...
in Venice. - (possibly Pizzigani): an anonymous fragment of a chart (East Mediterranean only) that was part of the private collection of Youssoff Kamal, now held by Dar al-KutubEgyptian National Library and ArchivesThe Egyptian National Library and Archives in Cairo is the largest library in Egypt. The second largest are the libraries of Al-Azhar University and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina ....
in CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
.
The 1424 Pizzigano Map
Pizzigano Map
The Pizzigano Map is a portolan chart dated to 1424 and attributed to the 15th C. Venetian cartographer Zuane Pizzigano...
is attributed to Venetian cartographer Zuane Pizzigano, who is believed to be related to Domenico and Francesco Pizzigano (possibly a son of one of them).
Sources
- Astengo, Corradino (2007) "The Renaissance chart tradition in the Mediterranean", in D. Woodward, editor, The History of Cartography, Vol. 3. Cartography in the European Renaissance. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Beazley, C.R. (1897) The Dawn of Modern Geography. London. vol. 1
- Buache, Jean-Nicholas (1806) "Recherches sur l'île Antillia et sur l'époque de la découverte de l'AmériqueMémoires de l'Institut des Sciences, Lettres et Arts, Vol. 6, Paris: Baudoin, p.1-29
- Campbell, T. (2011a) "Census of pre-sixteenth-century portolan charts: Corrections and updates" ( online, accessed 7 July 2011)
- Campbell, T. (2011b) "Anonymous works and the question of their attribution to individual chartmakers or to their supposed workshops" (online, accessed 7 July 2011)
- Cortesão, Armando (1953) "The North Atlantic Nautical Chart of 1424" Imago Mundi, Vol. 10. JSTOR
- Cortesão, Armando (1954) The Nautical Chart of 1424 and the Early Discovery and Cartographical Representation of America. Coimbra and Minneapolis. (Portuguese trans. "A Carta Nautica de 1424", published in 1975, Esparsos, Coimbra. vol. 3)
- Crone, C.R. (1937) "The Bianco Chart, 1448, and the 'Pillars of Hercules'", The Geographical Journal, Vol. 89 (5), p. 485-87.
- Crone, G. R. (1938) "The Origin of the Name Antillia", The Geographical Journal, Vol. 91, No. 3 (Mar.), pp. 260–262
- Crone, G.R. (1947) "The Pizigano Chart and the 'Pillars of Hercules'", The Geographical Journal, Apr–Jun, Vol.100, p. 278-9.
- Fischer, Theobald (1886) Sammlung mittelalterlicher Welt- und Seekarten italienischen Ursprungsund aus italienischen Bibliotheken und Archiven Venice: F. Ongania. online
- Hennig, R. (1945) "Eine altes Rätsel der Pizigano-Karte gelöst" in Mitteilungen der geographischen Gesellschaft Wien, vol. 88, p. 53–56.
- Kretschmer, Konrad (1892) Die Entdeckung Amerika's in ihrer Bedeutung für die Geschichte des Weltbildes. Berlin: Kühl. online
- Longhena, M. (1907) "Atlanti e Carte Nautiche del Secolo XIV al XVII, conservati nella biblioteca e nell'archivio di Parma", Archivio Storico per le Provincie Parmensi, Vol. VII. offprint
- Longhena, M. (1927) "La carta dei Fratelli Pizigano della Biblioteca Palatina di Parma", Atti del X Congresso Geographico Italino, Milan.
- Major, R.H. (1868) The Life of Prince Henry, surnamed the Navigator. London: Asher & Co
- Nordenskiöld, Adolf Erik (1897) Periplus: An Essay on the Early History of Charts and Sailing Directions, tr. Frances A. Bather, Stockholm: Norstedt.
- Russell, Peter E. (2000) Prince Henry 'the Navigator': a life. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press.