Behold: the largest known early map of the Earth, created in the form of 60 panels designed to be assembled into a large circle by Italian cartographer Urbano Monti in 1587. A manuscript of all 60 panels, recently acquired by the David Ramsey Map Centre, can be viewed in digitised detail here.

Of great interest is the attempt Monte makes to make his map not just a geographical tool but to show climate, customs, length of day, distances within regions — in other words, to create a universal scientific planisphere. In his dedication on tavola XL he specifies how to arrange the sheets of the mappamondo and makes it explicit that the whole map was to be stuck on a wooden panel 5 and a half brachia square (3.25m) so that it could be revolved around a central pivot or pin through the north pole.

And if you want the full 3D experience, a fully zoomable and rotatable globe visualisation of Monti’s map (Pic.5, above created by Jeremy Ashkenas) can be played with here.

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