Tabula Europ. Sexta Italiae

In the history of cartography Martin Waldsemuller has a unique place for his part in naming the new-found Continent of America .it has long been assumed that he came from Radolfzell am Boden See but recent research by German archivists reveals that he was born between the years 1470 and 1475 almost certainly in the village of Wolfenweiler near Freiburg im Breisgau(or possibly in Freiburg itself ),but in any case he grew up in Freiburg and entered the university there in 1490.his fellow students included Johannes Schott (c.1500-1521),later a noted printer,and Matthias Ringman, a poet who wrote Waldsemuller’s texts. The student’s interest in cosmography was undoubtdly aroused by their tutor ,Gregor Reisch,confessor to the Emperor Maximilian ,noted for his philosophical work ,Margarita Philosophica(1503),a widely read book,many editions of which included a World Map in Ptolemaic form.After learning the printing trade in Basle Waldsemuller moved to St.Didal (now St.Diè des Vosges) where he became professor of cosmography under the patronage of Renè II ,duke of Lorraine.It was at this time that Waltzemuller (as his name was probably spelled then) adopted as his nom-de-plume the name “Ilacomylus “ a Greek /Latin form of his name by which he became commonly known.It is believed that the Duke himself had acquired a copy of the Mondus Novus(1502),an account of the voyages of the Florentine seafarer Amerigo Vespucci which evidently so impressed Waldseemuller a Ringmanthat they not only disregarded the earlier discoveries of Columbus but set aside a planned new edition of Ptlomyto concentrate on their Cosmographiae introductio with his world map and set of globe gores(1507) in order to show the ‘new’ continent and ‘those parts of the World of the world unknown to Ptolomy. The book was printed at St.Diè on the Duke’s presses in three editions in 1507 and a later printing in 1509 at Strassburg.Of the 1000 copies of the map said to have been produced only one which came to light in 1901 ( together with the only copy of 1516 Carta Marina) has survived . Exhaustive analysis of the paper ,printing blocks and types indicates that these surviving maps were printed about the same time ,probably in Strassburg by Johannes Gruninger. The text of the Cosmogaphiae Introductio in which the name ‘America’is used was written by Ringman,and there are those who consider that Ringman ,and there are those who consider that Ringman’s influence was dominant in the choice of the name .He died in 1511 and by then Waldseemuller was having doubts about the name they had coined, but already so many copies had been distributed that it was too late for second thoughts. After Ringman’s death Waldseemuller concentrated on the new version of ptolomy’s Geographia, now regarded as the most important edition and which was the most authoritative work of its time until the issue of Munster’s Geographia in 1540. In 1513 Walodseemuller was honoureded for his work by being appointed a ‘life’ Canon at St. Diè,and he died there at about the age of 45 in the” Canon’s House” on 16 March 1519(1520 new style). 1507 Universalis Cosmographia Secundum Ptholomaei Traditionem et Americi Vespucii aliorumque lustrationes: World Map on 12 sheets 1511 central europe: road map 1520 re-issued( one copy known) 1513 ptolomy’s geographia: published in Strassburg by Jacobus Eszler and Georgius Ubelin (large folio) :47 woodcut maps 1520 strassburg re-issued 1516 Carta marina Navigatoria .world chart on 12 sheets8one copy known ) later editions are noted under laurent Fries(q.v.)