Camoccio map of Negroponte, published 1571-4,
based on sources from 1460-1470.
based on sources from 1460-1470.
In
1459, in Venetian dating, 1460 in ours, Venice realized the
inadequacy of its sources of information about its overseas and
mainland territories. It sent out a decree as follows:
Consilio di Dieci, Misti, v.
15, 198r [197r]
1459(=1460), Feb. 27
In the matter of cities, forts
and provinces which by the grace of God are subject to our dominion,
when we deliberate about those places, since there is no specified
person who can give detailed information concerning location [ . . . . ]
length and width, boundaries, what the neighboring areas are and how
far away they are, if information is sought from various people at
various times [ . . . . ] because either they
think it is that way or they would like it to be that way.
Whence, for every good reason,
there must from now on be provided in the chancellery of the state or in the
apartment of our council of Ten, giving their true image and form,
representations of all of our cities, lands forts, provinces and
places so that anyone wanting to deliberate and make decisions about
them may have a true and detailed written account, and not just
someone's opinion.
Vadit pars.
By the authority of this council it is to be written to all rettori
of cities, lands and forts belonging to us and ordered that, having
formed a council made up of selected citizens of that region and of
other practical and educated men, they shall put together information
about the land, the location, and district, identifying both to east
and west the forts, rivers, open spaces, and distances from place to
place and the places neighboring us and the distances between them
and draw them diligently in a orderly way to be examined by learned
and practical men to see whether it is well and properly done. Once
they have done this they are to send that picture [for
the use of] our
dominion.
The Latin text is here and the original document can be found here in the ASVe Deliberatione misti R. 15.
The Latin text is here and the original document can be found here in the ASVe Deliberatione misti R. 15.
Pierre
MacKay translated and has been working on this material, and the rest
of the blog is his:
* * * * * *
In
early 1460, having watched the Ottomans take over Athens and Mistra,
the Venetians had to expect that their own outposts would soon be
targeted. Their sense of urgency can be seen in the way that
magistracies such as the Council of Ten found themselves deliberating
over a wide range of subjects beyond their normal remit, including
the defense of distant parts of the Venetian Empire. Exasperated
with the responsibility of deciding policy for territories about
which they knew very little, they produced this decree requiring the rettori of Venice's possessions
to supply them with accurate maps and descriptions of each location.
The
language of this document is delightful for its directness (an
advantage given to a secret organization). The impatience of the
Council breaks through the tortuous and deeply parenthetical style.
The Dieci complain that when random informants (aliquibus)
are asked about Venice's distant possessions, their answers are
valueless since they are based only on what the informants think to
be the case or what they wish might be the case (aut ita putant
aut ita vellent).
What
the Dieci insist on is clear, detailed written evidence and
not just someone's opinion (et non ad opinionem alicuius).
It is the local residents (people, that is, who know what they are
talking about) who are to be called on for their evidence and the
observations of experienced men (e. g., traders and seafarers) are to
be collected for the making of a detailed map (pictura). I
have difficulty in interpreting the syntax of “designatione
ordinato” (the letters are quite clear in the image) but it may
conceal some idea like “drawn to scale.”
Finally,
note that the maps are to be inspected by local experts (doctis et
praticis) so that the Dieci have some assurance that they can be
relied on.
We
have an indication that this sort of mapping was done at once, at
least for places on the front line against the Ottomans. Twenty
months after this decree, the Dieci voted confidently (14, 0, 3) on a
detailed program for improvements in the defences of Negroponte, and
their recommendations are precise and reasonable. They seem to have
had, for their deliberations, a very good representation of the city of Negroponte and its surroundings. Perhaps we are dealing here with one of
the earlier maps produced in accordance with the decree of 1460. If
so, it is quite likely to be the original on which Giovanni Camoccio
based the map he drew in 1571—74. This raises the tantalizing hope
that there may be an as yet unrecognized collection of such maps
waiting to be discovered in some Venetian archive.
Thanks to Karen Barzman whe informed me of references to this decree and initiated the search on Serenissima that produced a citation from the History of Cartography, and thanks as always to those at the Archivio di Stato di Venezia who have created tools for a revolution in Venetian historical studies.
See also: Emanuele Casti, "State, Cartography, and Territory in the Venetian and Lombard Renaissance," in D. Woodward, G. M. Levis, (eds.) The History of Cartography, University of Chicago Press (Chicago 2007) Vol. 3: 874-908, esp. 878n11, but note that Casti restricts the application of this decree to the lands of the terra ferma, a restriction which is nowhere state dor implied in the decree.
Thanks to Karen Barzman whe informed me of references to this decree and initiated the search on Serenissima that produced a citation from the History of Cartography, and thanks as always to those at the Archivio di Stato di Venezia who have created tools for a revolution in Venetian historical studies.
See also: Emanuele Casti, "State, Cartography, and Territory in the Venetian and Lombard Renaissance," in D. Woodward, G. M. Levis, (eds.) The History of Cartography, University of Chicago Press (Chicago 2007) Vol. 3: 874-908, esp. 878n11, but note that Casti restricts the application of this decree to the lands of the terra ferma, a restriction which is nowhere state dor implied in the decree.
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