1452 - Giovanni Leardo, Mappamondo, dated and signed: Johanes Leardus de Venetiis me fezit abano [sic] domini 145[2] ]. In Venetian dialect, east orientation, centered on Jerusalem, 73 × 60 cm, diam. of the circular map, 38,5 cm.
Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin, American Geographical Society Library, Rare (3, East), 50 A
Courtesy of the American Geographical Society Library / University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries. Reproduction prohibited.
A lengthy cartouche in Venetian dialect, much worn in part and in part incomplete due to the decay of the parchment, explains the structure and functions of the work and how to determine whether Easter falls in March or April from 1453 to 1547:
“[…] chreatore de tute le cose chreato et non chreato et è en 3 persone et una medexima sustanzia et uno Idio el quale en infinito è incomprensibelle ai omeni et ai angelli quanti vi sono dal zentro per sino a la zirconferenzia. En umanità […] | […] Maria et farsi homo pasibelle et sostener morte per redimer l’umana generazione et resusitò il terzo zorno et asexe en xiello a la destera del padre et al novisimo dì zudigerà zusti et pechatori. Al nome de quel Dio che così vera mente ch[…] |
[…] come la tera et le ixole stano nel mare et molte provinzie et monti et fiumi prenzipalli sono ne la tera. El diamitro de la tera siè meglia 6857 ⟦el diamit⟧ secondo Macobrio ezelentisimo astrologo et geumetrico. El diamitro de l’aqua | […] [me]glia 31929 1/7. El diamitro del fuoguo 68191 2/7. El diamitro de la Luna siè meglia 147149. El diamitro de Mercurio siè meglia 217633. El diamitro de Venus siè meglia 692703. El diamitro del Solle siè meglia 1494781. El diamitro de Mar[te] | […] [siè meglia] 6532374 1/7 [ndr. questo valore non si riferisce a Marte, ma più probabilmente a Giove, il cui riferimento è andato perduto]. El diametro de Saturno siè meglia 13997942 4/7. Diametrus horbis signiorum siè meglia 29995591. Diametrus horbis aplanis siè meglia 64276266 6/7. Diametrus horbis christalini siè meglia 137724856. Pitagora dize che da la | […].
[…]to mapamondo siè de la raxon de la Pasqua de la rexurrezione per ani 95. Comenza nel 1453 a dì primo aprille. Comple nel 1547 a dì 10 aprille. Quando si trova ne le caxelle letera M averemo la Pasqua de marzo. Quando si troverà letera A averemo | […] l’ano averemo bixestro. El secondo zircolo siè de i 12 mexi dell’ano et quando il Sole entra en cadauno dei 12 segni zelesti. El terzo circollo siè de 19 letere de l’alfabeto per atrovar la raxon de la Luna. El quarto zircollo siè dei numeri | […] El sesto zircollo siè i ponti de le hore. El setimo zircollo siè le letere dominicale. L’otavo zircollo siè le ore de la grandeza del dì en tutto el tenpo de l’ano. El nono zircolo siè dei menudi che avanza oltra le ore ne la grandeza del dì. El [decimo] | […] voler sapere quando rinova la Luna de zugnio del 1453. Nel dito mileximo abiamo per letera concorente letera C. A voler atrovar la coioncion de la Luna dobiamo atrovar letera C nel mese de zugnio. E a l’incontro si troverà di | […] [tr]overà la Luna de cadauno mexe del deto mileximo. El mileximo comenza de zenaro nel 1454. Averemo concorente letera d e così se schore ogni ano una letera de l’alfabeto et quando si zunze a letera T l’altro ano drieto si torna a letera [A] | […] raxone comenza a lo levar del Solle e intendese a tanti dì et a tante hore et a tanti ponti. Ponti 1080 s’intende una hora. A le fiade en uno mexe si trova 2 fiade una letera. En quel mexe la Luna rinnova 2 fiade etc. Johanes Leardus de Venetteis me fecit ab ano dei 14[..]”.
English translation:
“Creator of all things created and uncreated, and in three persons and a single substance, and a God incomprehensible in his infinity to man and to as many angels as there are from the center to the circumference. In humanity [. . .] / [. . .] Maria, to become fully man and to face death to redeem the human generation, and was resurrected on the third day and seated in heaven at the right hand of the father, and the great coming day will judge the righteous and the sinners. In the name of that God thus truly ch[. ..] / [. . .] as the land and the islands configure themselves with respect to the sea, and many provinces and mountains and principal rivers located on the Earth.
According to Macrobius, most excellent astronomer and geometer, the diameter of the Earth is 6857 miles. The diameter of the water | [. . .] 31,929 miles 1/7. The diameter of fire 68,191 2/7. The diameter of the moon is 147,149 miles. The diameter of Mercury is 217,633 miles. The diameter of Venus is 692,703 miles. The diameter of the Sun is 1,494,781 miles. The diameter of Mar[s] | [. . .] [is in miles] 6,532,374 1/7. [ndr. this value refers not to Mars, rather more probably to Jupiter, whose referent is lost]. The diameter of Saturn is 13,997,942 4/7 miles. The diameter of the sphere of the signs [of the zodiac, the eighth sphere] is 29,995,591. The diameter of the fixed sphere is 64,276,266 6/7.
The diameter of the crystalline sphere [Primum Mobile] is 137,724,856 miles. Pythagoras says that from the /[…]to mappamundo is the calendar of the Easter of resurrection for 95 years. It begins the first of April 1453. It finishes April 10, 1547. When the letter M is found in the box, we will have Easter in March. When the letter A is found we will have it / [in April …] it will be a leap year. The second circle shows the 12 months of the year and when the Sun enters into each of the 12 celestial signs. The third circle shows 19 letters of the alphabet to find the lunar calendar. The fourth circle shows the numbers / [. . .] the sixth circle shows the minutes of the hours. The seventh circle shows the Dominical letters. The eighth circle shows the hours of the length of the day over the course of the entire year.
The ninth circle shows the additional minutes over the hours in the length of the day. The [tenth]/[…] to want to determine when the new Moon falls in the month of June 1453. In that year we have the latter C as reference letter. Wishing to determine the conjunction of the Moon we have to look for the letter C in the month of June. And in correspondence to this we /[…] [w]ill find the Moon in each month of the given year. The thousandth begins in January 1454. We will have the corresponding letter d and thus we may trace every year a letter of the alphabet and when we arrive at the letter T, the subsequent year returns to the letter A /[…] calendar begins with the rising Sun and indicates on given days, at given hours and given minutes. 1080 minutes comprise an hour. Sometimes the same letter may be found twice in a single month. In that month the Moon renews itself two times, etc. Giovanni Leardo of Venice made me in the year of our Lord 14[..].”