description Catalan Atlas Overview
The Catalan Atlas is an illuminated world map produced around 1375 and commonly attributed to the Majorcan Jewish cartographer Abraham Cresques and his workshop. Preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, it combines Mediterranean portolan-chart conventions with geographical, political, commercial, and legendary information about Asia and Africa. Its panels depict coastlines, rulers, cities, caravan routes, ships, and explanatory texts in Catalan.
insights Ranking position
Catalan Atlas ranks #23 of 243 in the Manuscript ranking, behind Bodmer Papyri P75, ahead of Sana'a Quran Manuscript.
help Catalan Atlas FAQ
Why does the Catalan Atlas show rulers such as Mansa Musa on a map?
The atlas combines navigation with stories about political power, trade, religion, and distant peoples. Its image of Mansa Musa holding gold highlights medieval European awareness of Mali's wealth and trans-Saharan commerce.
Was the Catalan Atlas made as one large sheet or as a book?
It survives as six illuminated parchment leaves mounted on wooden panels. The format combines portolan-style Mediterranean charts with a broader world picture extending into Asia.
Who made the Catalan Atlas?
It is commonly attributed to Abraham Cresques, a Majorcan Jewish mapmaker, and his workshop around 1375. The attribution is widely used, although the surviving atlas itself does not function like a modern signed publication.
Where is the original Catalan Atlas kept?
The original is held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. It entered the French royal collection after being created in the Crown of Aragon's Majorcan cartographic tradition.
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