Abstract
The catalogue presents works important for the oldest history of cartography and Europe, such as Roman, Arabic and medieval maps. Described are also maps depicting the ancientness of the Czech lands.
The Dutch masters from the golden age of cartography at the turn of the 16th and 17th century represent the height of mapmaking. The greatest treasures of the exhibition are probably newly discovered maps - Frederick de Wit's map of Germany and Evert Gijsbertson's map of Europe.
As for the Italian renaissance maps the Collection can take pride in the world unique work - 2nd edition of a 1565 map by Francesco Giovanni Camocio, depicting the Turkish attack on Malta. The German cartographic school is represented by the cartographers J.B.Homann and M.Seutter.
A special chapter is formed by cities depicted in topographic pictures, vedutes and by detailed maps with a description and history of the place. Václav Hollar cannot be missing here.
The largest city map of the Collection is the Teixeira's Madrid. The exhibition also features maps of Paris and Rome, but certainly the most impressive map is the Sadler's panorama of Prague.
There is exhibited an illustration from the classical work Geographia, published in Latin in the 16th century. G.
Mercator and A. Ortelius were at the birth of the first modern atlases.
Their famous works are also part of the Collection, of which more than 2000 atlases W. Blaeu's Atlas Maior is introduced.
Globes, armillary spheres and tellurians played their roles in the history of cartography. Blaeu's and Seutter's globes have been digitized and they are presented as 3D models at the exhibition.
The 18th century paired blank globes that were used as a teaching aid are certainly a curious exhibit. Tellurian from the J.
Felkl's workshop had the similar purpose. Real curiosities are handwritten maps reduced according to stable cadastre with the Joachim Barrand's notes on his study of colonies in the Beroun area.