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The first map of Bohemia originated 500 years ago

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2018

Abstract

The article informs about a publisher and a physician Nicolaus Claudianus (Mikuláš Klaudyán). It describes the origin and so far known history of the illustrated broadsheet with a map of the Bohemian Kingdom that was printed in Nuremberg in 1518.

It also analyses individual thirds of the sheet. The first one contains an image of the King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia.

Bellow there are allegories of justice. Coats of arms of the members of a Provincial Court are below.

The centre of the sheet is filled with an allegorical painted carriage that is an example of a fighting Christian church. The last third takes a map of the Bohemian Kingdom and a communication and religious content.

Its sign is an orientation south-up. 280 seats are plotted on. It was the first detailed map of Bohemia.

The map was further spread by S. Münster in his Cosmography (1545).

It was also published in a Czech version edited by Zikmund of Púchov (1554). The next copy was done by B.Zaltieri in Venice (1566).

There were also created a number of interesting manuscript copies that are today found in the collections of Rychnov nad Kněžnou castle, in the National Museum or in the Map Collection of the Faculty of Science of Charles University.