João Teixeira Albernaz I
Encyclopedia
João Teixeira Albernaz I also referred to as João Teixeira Albernaz, the Elder ( Lisbon, late 16th century - c. 1662 ), to distinguish him from his grandson, was the most prolific Portuguese
cartographer of the seventeenth century. His works include nineteen atlases, a total of two hundred and fifteen maps. He stands out for the variety of themes, which record the progress of maritime and land exploration
, particularly in Brazil. João Teixeira Albernaz belonged to a prominent family of cartographers whose work extended from mid-sixteenth century until the late eighteenth century, including his father Luís Teixeira
, uncle Domingos Teixeira, brother Pedro Teixeira Albernaz
and grandson João Teixeira Albernaz, the younger, as well as Estevão Teixeira.
, starting his own work in the seventeenth century. On 29 October, 1602 he got his licence as master for "Nautical chart
s, astrolabe
s, compass needles and cross-staff", having been examined by the royal chief-cosmographer, João Baptista Lavanha. Three years later, in 1605, he was appointed cartographer for the Warehouse Guinea and India (Casa da Mina and India?)
, where he worked until the end of his life.
In the Archive of the Indies in Seville, there is a document recording his presence and also his brother, Pedro Teixeira
in Madrid
in order to design charts of Strait of St. Vincent and the Strait of Magellan
. In 1622 presented a petition to the post of chief cosmographer, but the post was passed over to Valentim de Sá. In the late seventeenth century, in an opinion issued by Manuel Pimentel about the 1642's Atlas of Brazil, warns that errors in the first chart of this Atlas, which did not respect the boundary agreed between Portugal and Spain, concluding that the book was "no more than good paintings and illuminations".
. His works amount to nineteen atlas
, grouped and loose charts, in a total of two hundred and fifteen charts. Those include:
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
cartographer of the seventeenth century. His works include nineteen atlases, a total of two hundred and fifteen maps. He stands out for the variety of themes, which record the progress of maritime and land exploration
Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration and the Great Navigations , was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing direct contacts with...
, particularly in Brazil. João Teixeira Albernaz belonged to a prominent family of cartographers whose work extended from mid-sixteenth century until the late eighteenth century, including his father Luís Teixeira
Luís Teixeira
Luís Teixeira or Ludovico Teixeira was a sixteenth-century Portuguese Jesuit, cartographer, and mathematician.He should not be confused with Luís Teixeira Lobo, one of the first Portuguese humanists, son of João Teixeira and brother of Álvaro, who was sent to study in Italy and influenced by the...
, uncle Domingos Teixeira, brother Pedro Teixeira Albernaz
Pedro Teixeira Albernaz
Pedro Teixeira Albernaz was a Portuguese cartographer who worked for the king Philip III of Spain.-Works:*La descripción de España y de las costas y puertos de sus reinos *Topografía de Madrid...
and grandson João Teixeira Albernaz, the younger, as well as Estevão Teixeira.
Biography
João Teixeira Albernaz must have learned the craft from his father Luís TeixeiraLuís Teixeira
Luís Teixeira or Ludovico Teixeira was a sixteenth-century Portuguese Jesuit, cartographer, and mathematician.He should not be confused with Luís Teixeira Lobo, one of the first Portuguese humanists, son of João Teixeira and brother of Álvaro, who was sent to study in Italy and influenced by the...
, starting his own work in the seventeenth century. On 29 October, 1602 he got his licence as master for "Nautical chart
Nautical chart
A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent coastal regions. Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show depths of water and heights of land , natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline, navigational hazards, locations of natural and man-made aids...
s, astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
s, compass needles and cross-staff", having been examined by the royal chief-cosmographer, João Baptista Lavanha. Three years later, in 1605, he was appointed cartographer for the Warehouse Guinea and India (Casa da Mina and India?)
Casa da Índia
Casa da Índia was the Portuguese organization that managed all overseas territories during the heyday of the Portuguese Empire in the 16th century. It was both the central authority for managing all aspects of overseas trade, the central shipment point and clearing house...
, where he worked until the end of his life.
In the Archive of the Indies in Seville, there is a document recording his presence and also his brother, Pedro Teixeira
Pedro Teixeira
Pedro Teixeira was a Portuguese explorer who became, in 1637, the first European to travel up the entire length of the Amazon River....
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in order to design charts of Strait of St. Vincent and the Strait of Magellan
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
. In 1622 presented a petition to the post of chief cosmographer, but the post was passed over to Valentim de Sá. In the late seventeenth century, in an opinion issued by Manuel Pimentel about the 1642's Atlas of Brazil, warns that errors in the first chart of this Atlas, which did not respect the boundary agreed between Portugal and Spain, concluding that the book was "no more than good paintings and illuminations".
Works
His work is of great interest both for its breadth and variety, and for the record of the progress of discovery and Portuguese maritime and overland exploration, particularly with regard to BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. His works amount to nineteen atlas
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets in the Solar System. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats...
, grouped and loose charts, in a total of two hundred and fifteen charts. Those include:
- c. 1616 - a copy of the codex titled "Rezão do Estado do Brasil". According to Francisco Adolfo de VarnhagenFrancisco Adolfo de VarnhagenFrancisco Adolfo de Varnhagen, Viscount of Porto Seguro was a Brazilian military, diplomat and historian. He is the patron of the 39th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.-Life:...
and Helio Vianna, only the charts of this codex are by João Teixeira. - 1621 - Chart of the Strait of S. Vicente and Strait of Magellan, with his brother Pedro Teixeira de Albernaz
- c. 1626 -"Livro que dá Rezão do Estado do Brasil", containing twenty-two chats, being a larger copy of the earlier 1616
- 1630 - Atlas Taboas geraes de toda a navegação, divididas e emendadas por Dom Ieronimo de Attayde com todos os portos principaes das conquistas de Portugal delineadas por Ioão Teixeira cosmographo de Sua Magestade, anno de 1630, manuscript in the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. The first map, a world map summarizing the geographic knowledge at the time, presents a controversial Tordesillas lineTreaty of TordesillasThe Treaty of Tordesillas , signed at Tordesillas , , divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal along a meridian 370 leagueswest of the Cape Verde islands...
shifted to the west, incorporating the mouth of the Rio de la PlataRío de la PlataThe Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
and northeastern North America under Portuguese rule.
- 1631 - Atlas of the State of Brazil, available in 1960 in the Map Collection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro. Covers thirty-six charts displaying frames, legend and shields or grantees of the Crown, are not met. Have been sent by organizing D. Jerónimo de Athayde , the donee Captaincy of Ilhéus. Contains several elements illuminating on the sugar industry, as well as representing the estuaries of the Rio de la Plata and the Amazon River, showing the patterns of demarcation between Spain and Portugal;
- 1640 - Atlas of Brazil, composed of thirty-two letters on paper , that there are seven copies, of which the Historical Archives of the Ministry of Finance, Brazil. Has the particularity of each letter is preceded by a sheet with explanatory text. Codex exists in Torre do Tombo (Description of the land around the sea of St. Cross, commonly called Brazil, by John Teixeira, cosmographer of His Majesty the year 1640) is currently editing a full-color facsimile, showing thirty and letters, the first representing the territory of Brazil and the rest of its coast, with details of the final course of rivers, islands, ports and fortifications.
- 1643 – Atlas Universal (Livro vniversal das navegasões feito em Lisboa por Ioão Teixeira Cosmographo de Sva Magestade, Anno 1643), "Universal Atlas" with eight charts. Considered an exceptional artistic value, different from other Atlas of the author, because it presents essentially hydrographic information.