A Cosmogram of Its Time - A Conceptual Analysis of the Catalan Atlas

Mariani, Benedetta (2022) A Cosmogram of Its Time - A Conceptual Analysis of the Catalan Atlas. Annali online Unife. Sezione di Storia e Scienze dell'Antichita', 1 (2022). pp. 43-62. ISSN 2974-6337

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Abstract

This article aims to evaluate the role of maps in the Middle Ages and to assess whether they should be understood uniquely as antique geographical tools or, rather, as important historic records of a certain-time culture. Thus, the concept of cosmogram is applied to a specific case study, the medieval portolan chart known as Catalan Atlas. The paper challenges what makes a map a complete and tangible representation of the understanding of the world at a specific moment, as opposed to a "simple" instrument to navigate the physical environment. In addition, the whole concept of medieval maps being just orientational aids will be put under pressure, comparing the Catalan Atlas with another medieval map, the Peutinger Tabula. Ultimately, it demonstrates that any map, even a contemporary one, always presents a degree of interpretation in the way it may mirror the historic context in which it was produced.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This article was first developed by the author as an unpublished MA coursework with the title "To What Extent Can the Catalan Atlas Be Considered a Cosmogram of Its Time?" at the Warburg Institute, London, UK.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	medieval maps,cosmogram,catalan atlas,peutinger tabula,codicology,art history,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of History
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	17 Nov 2025 11:30
Last Modified:	17 Nov 2025 15:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101026
DOI:	10.15160/2038-1034/2456

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