Greetings beautiful souls,
Thank you for your interest in this series. Within each post, I will provide translations of 4 to 5 sheets of manuscripts of the Urbano Monte’s Global Map, created around 1587. For the complete list of the 60-sheet manuscript world map, visit the David Rumsey Map Collection. The manuscripts are of very high quality, allowing for detailed zooming in to closely examine the texts.
In Part 1, we started with the outer texts located in present-day South America, beginning from section 57 and proceeding counterclockwise to section 60 on the Index page. In Part 2, we will continue with sections 43 to 46. These texts offer descriptions of the land, including its inhabitants, animals, and plant life, from an Italian perspective around the 1600s. In addition to the actual map, the Key sheet is also helpful for quickly locating the described areas.
The translations follow a left-to-right order based on the provided images. I used OpenL to translate the texts into English. I rely completely on these tools and welcome corrections, as I myself do not speak Italian. Any errors present are my own.
With love, honor, and respect.
Nhu
Of Spain
This point of the world has been greatly likened to Italy for the similarity of the country’s beauty, for the fertility of its talents, and for the abundance and pleasantness of its fruits, and also for being near the Fortunate Islands and under the fourth climate, which makes the country of excellent temperance in all things, and above all it is worthy of great consideration, seeing that to this nation God has given a new honor, so great and notable to the world, and today it governs the greater part of Christendom, making it a continuous stronghold against the Infidels, whence one may also reasonably hope that by their own hands most of the world will be brought under the protection of our most holy Christian law.
Della Spagna
Questa puintia dalli scrittorie stata rasomigliata molto all Ittalia per la conformita della. Bellega del paese per. La fecondia degl Ingegni et per La copia et gradega dei frutti, et si ancora per esser apresso al Isole fortunate et sotto il quarto clima che fa il paese di ottima Temperanza in ogni sua cosa, et sopra tutto ella e dignissima di soma consideratione, il veder che a questa natione. Iddio ha datto il rihonar un novo, cosi grande, e nota bil mondo, et it Governar oggi La magior parte della cristianità, et farla un continuo propugnaculo contra Infideli, onde si deve anco sperare ragionevolmente, che per se lor mani s’ habbia da richurre. La magior parte del mondo sotto l’ale della nra santissima cristiona lege.
Frozen Southern Ocean: Oceano Australe Giaciato
Of France
The memories of this great and most valiant nation, after what Caesar wrote about it, have continued to grow for almost 400 years under the Roman Empire and the remaining time for over a thousand and more years under their own French rule.
They used to be accompanied by many great lords and princes, such as those of Poitou, the Dukes of Normandy, Brittany, Anjou, Lorraine, Burgundy, and others, but now almost everything is either alienated from the crown or drawn away from it with only the name remaining.
The French are courageous men, white, more inclined to wars than to letters.
Della Francia
Le memorie di questa grande et valorosissima natione doppo quanto ne scrisse cesare, son venute sempre cresendo quasi 400 ani sotto L’Imperio Romano, et il rimanente ave da mille cento e pui ani sotto il francese lor proprio.
Solevano esser insieme con i Re molti gran signori et principi, come quei di puema i Duchi di Normandia di Bertagna, d’Angio di Lorena et di Borgogna et altri, ma hora e quasi tutto o alienato da la corona o Tirato di sotto da essa restandone il nome solo.
Sono i Francesi homini coragiosi, bianchi, pin datti alle guerre che alle lettere.
Of Flanders
The people are naturally and almost entirely very pale, so both men and women have a gentle bearing in their voice and manner, with a beautiful form and of very excellent intellect, and above all, they possess a noble and high spirit in matters of honor and glory. These qualities and praiseworthy traits are found in this nation, both due to the disposition of the land and the sky, and also because of the variety of peoples who continually inhabit it, especially those from our Italy. These people, in their brilliance and intellect, join the ranks of illustrious princes. However, today, much of Flanders is ruined by its own greatness due to the wars waged against the King and their natural lord, as they seek to maintain themselves in Lutheran liberty, contrary to all reason.
Note: Flanders is present-day northern Belgium.
Della Fiandra
La gente naturalmente e quasi tutta discolore bianchissimo cosi homini come donne di fauella gentile nella voce et nelle maniere di bella creanga di molto eccellente ingegno, et sopra tutto ha alto e nobil animo nelle cose de l’honore et della gloria. Le quai parte et qualita lodevoli quella natione ha si per la disposition del sito del cielo si ancora per la varieta delle genti che di continuo vi conners ano et principalmente della nostra Italia, quali nello splendore et ingegni parte illustre concorono con principi nel esser loro Hoggi e gran parte ruinata dalla grandeza sua per le guerre fatte contra il Re et natural suo signore volendo essi mantenersi nella liberta Luterana contra ogni ragione.
Of the Christian, the greatest Supreme Pontiff
After the many great persecutions that the church of Christ has endured, it was indeed worthy that this holy pastor be given to us through heavenly gifts so that through his prayers and supplications, all the chosen people, looking at his merits, should unitedly venerate the holy and great pastor.
De cristiani optimo, sommo Pontefice maximo
Doppo le Tante gran persecutioni che la chiesa di cristo ha soportato. Degno era ben che da celesti doni questo santo pastor ci fosse dato per che per le sue preci et orationi. Tutto il popola eletto e bate gato mirando i merti suoi dovesse unito venerare il pastor santo e grandito.
Beautiful Germany
In the time of the Romans, these peoples roamed the land, settling in places where night fell. The land was barren and unfruitful; now it is fertile and abundant in fruits, grains, and meat, as well as in every other good thing, but above all in mineral resources of every kind. As for art and ingenuity, this nation, which some have called horrible, barbaric, and uncivilized, is now seen not only in military art, in civilization, and in letters, but also in mechanical arts, having the name of excelling in all the best of every part and surpassing all other regions, not to mention small regions or provinces from all over the world.
Bella Germania
A Tempo de Romani questi popoli an davano vaga do per il paese seng a case et fermandosi ovon che si faceva lor notte il paese era sterile et infecondo hora e fecondis simo et fertilissimo di frutti di frumenti e di carne de pessi et d’ogn’ altro bene ma sopra tutto de minere de metalli d’ogni sorte, et in quanto poi a l’arte, et a l’ingegno, qita natione che fa gia detta da alcuni orrida barbara et in civile si vede oggi non solo nell’ arte militare, nella civiltà et nelle lettere ma ancora nell’ arte mecaniche haver nome d’ agvag liar Tutte le migliori d’ogni parte, et di avangar futte l’ altre megane non che piciole regioni o provin tie di Tutto il mondo.
Parte de Terra de vista: Part of the Land in view
Of Italy
For the province of Italy, which is commonly called the paradise of the world by all nations, no particular sheet is enough to express it. I will only say that it is the seat in the world of the lieutenant and vicar of Christ our Lord and the true sanctuary of the Gifts and Divine graces that then spread throughout the world.
This province is very vaguely circumscribed by Petrarch when he said: The beautiful land that the Apennines pearl, the Alar surrounds, and the Alps. The inhabitants of this province can be said to be the closest to being called supernatural in their ingenuity and the liveliness of their bodies, which any other nation in the world cannot claim, not only in these times but also in the past.
De L’Ittalia
Per la provintia d’Ittalia che con voce comune de tutte le nationi e chiamata paradiso del mondo, non basta alcun particolar foglio a volerne dire, solo diro che e sedia nel mondo del luocotenente et vicario di cristo nostro signore et vero sacrario de i Doni et gratie Divine che poi per tutto il mondo van spargendosi.
Questa provintia fa molto vagamente circonscritta dal Petrarca quando disse. Il bel paese ch’ Appenin perle, el Alar circonda e L’Alpe. Li naturali di questa provintia si puo dire che siano li pin vicini a esser detti sopranaturali nell’ Ingegno et nella vivacita de corpi che qual si voglia altra natione del mondo non solamente. In questi Tempi, ma nei passati ancora, nei quali si come hora e patrona dla chiesa universale spiritualmente, allora era signora del mondo Temporalmente.
Southern Ocean Frozen: Oceano Australe Giaciato
From the Northern Countries
That is, Iceland, Frisland, Greenland, and other nearby provinces and islands.
These people are mostly Christians and they practice their faith a lot. They dress in wool, are of very great stature, live on fish of which they have a great abundance, and although the sea is frozen, they still break the ice and catch a great quantity, which they use for all their needs. They make small boats with bones and skin, extract oil for burning during the times when they have continuous night, use bones for firewood to cook and warm themselves, use them to make huts, from fresh and salted meat they make many dishes, and by making flour they make bread adding butter, they also catch a great quantity of birds from which they live for a large part of the year, they have many lords among them, and many places govern themselves in the form of a Republic or rather as cantons of their own.
De’Paesi Settentrionali
Cioe Islanda Frislanda Gronelanda et altre vicine provintie et isole.
Questi popoli sono la magior parte cristiani et s’esercitano molto nella catia vestono di lana, sono di grandissima statura vivono pil pin de pessi de quali hano copia grandissima, et banche il mare sia por il pin gia ciato essi Tuttavia rompono il giacio et ne pigliano copia grandissima, de quali si servono in tutti i suoi bisogni, ne fano barchette con li ossi e pelle, cavano olio per ardere quei Tempi che hano continua notte, delli ossi si servono per legna per cocere e scaldarsi, se ne servono per far capanette, de la carne fresca e salata fano molte vivande, et facendone farina ne fanno pane agcongendovi del butiro, pigliano anco grandissima copia de vcelli de quali vivono gran parte de L’ano, hano molti signori Tra loro, et molti luoghi si regono da se stessi in forma di Republica o pin tosto de cantoni de sui gari.
The Great Prester John. King of Greater Ethiopia.
The Black King of Ethiopia to whom such power was granted by kind heaven, has many kings not only subject to him with their people and their lands, but those services that they render to others, they do solely for him as a clear sign. And this one has a place among us Christians, but through water at Baptism, he uses fire.
Il Gran Prete Iani. Re della grade Etiopia.
Il nego Re de L’Etiopia a cui Tanta prosanza diede il ciel cortese ha molti Re non pur sugietti a lui con le persone lor col lor paese ma quei servigi ch’a lor fano altrui fano essi al sol di lui segno palese et ha costui fra noi cristiani loco ma per aqua al Batesmo egliusa il foco.
Of Muscovy
It is a very large country, so named after the Mosco River, governed by a very powerful and Christian lord, who follows the religious practices of the Greek Church. Under him, there are many great princes and a good portion of Tartars. The country is flat, with many forests, marshes, and rivers, and is excessively cold, to the point that no kind of trees grows there, except the cherry tree, as many claim. In these lands, the Moose is found, which is commonly called the great beast, resembling the stag. It is said that making rings from its hoof and wearing them on the finger is beneficial for treating the gout, as well as for illnesses of the hands or feet, and even for epilepsy. Many princes and other notable people use them. However, the experts say for certain that such a ring has no virtue unless it is cut or removed before the beast dies.
Note: Muscovy or Moscovia is an alternative name for the Principality of Moscow (1263–1547) and the Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721).
Della Moscouia
E’ paese grandissimo cosi chiamato dal fiume mosco, gounata da signore sno partico lare potentissimo et cristiano, il quale osserva nella religione i modi della chiesa Greca, et ha sotto di se molti gran principi et bona parte de Tartari et e paese piano con molte selue paludi e fiunri, e freddo eccessivamente in modo cli non vi alligna nima sorte d’arbori saluo il ciregio come molti affermano. In questi paesi si Trona I’Alce che comunamente chiamano. La gran Bestia di forma simile al cerno, di questa dicono cli facendosi anelli de l’ungia sua et portandolo in dito, vale al granchio che si fa nelle mani o ai piedi, et anco al mal caduco, et se veggono molti a principi et altri particolari. ma dicono Li esperti per cosa certa che Tal ogni a non ha virtù se ella non e Tagliata o Tolta via prima che la Bestia sia finita de morire.
Of Mauritania
Today, all of Libya or Africa universally is called Barbary, and all its peoples are called Moors. Specifically, Mauritania Tingitana is now referred to as the Kingdom of Fez and the Kingdom of Morocco. They call the region of Caesarea the Kingdom of Tramisene. These peoples mostly live in huts made of branches and clay. In this province, there are many deserts, except in the parts towards Europe where the fields are very fertile and yield a hundredfold. There, the vines grow as large as any tree in our lands and produce grapes as big as a man’s arm. Near the Atlas Mountains, there are very tall trees without knots, and the ancients say that the most noble cedar boards came from here, highly valued by the ancients. In Africa, various kinds of venomous animals are born that do not exist in other countries or parts of the world. The main city and capital of all Africa was once Carthage, which for a long time caused trouble for the Romans, as Petrarch says. It fell three times and was already at its end.
Della Mauritania
Oggi Tutta la Libia o Africa in universale si chiama Barbaria, et i suoi popoli Tutti, si chiamasi mori, in partico lare poi la Mauritana Tingitania si dice oggi il Regno di Fes, et il Regno di Marocco. La cesariense chiamano il Regno di Tramisen, questi popoli habitano quasi Tutti sotto capane di frasche e creta, sono in questa provintia molti diserti, salvo nelle parti verso Europa i Campi sono fertilissimi, et rendono p uno cento, ivi sono viti grandi come qualsi voglia arbore de nostri paesi et fano uve grande un bratio Luna. Vicino al monte Atlante vi sono arbori altissimi senga nodo, et dicono li antichi che da qui venivano quelle nobilissime Tavole di cedro, da li antichi Tenute in gran pregio, nascono in Africa pin sorti de animali venenosi che ni altri paesi o parte del mondo, citta principale et capo de Tutta L’Africa fu gia cartagine che Tanto. Tempo diede da fare a Romani, per le cui mani come dice il Petrarca. Tre volte cadde et alla Terga giaque.
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