Longitude and Latitude Become Popular

Artist Ferando Bertelli and Pablo Forlani
Title Universale descrittione di tutta la terra conosciuta fin qui
Year 1565
Dimensions 41 x 75 cm
Medium Hand-colored engraving
Location Newberry Library
View in Repository's Digital Collection

A prominent mapmaker in Verona, Italy, Paulo Forlani helped popularize what we now think of as a standard world map: one that is oval or rectangular and held together by parallel, horizontal lines and sloping vertical lines. Emphasizing these lines on the map both helped people take advantage of the map’s mathematical qualities and also assured users that the map was accurate and trustworthy.