description Gaspar Viegas Overview
Gaspar Viegas was a Portuguese cartographer active in the 1530s and 1540s during the height of Portuguese maritime exploration. He produced a series of portolan charts documenting Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, reflecting the geographic knowledge gathered from Portuguese voyages along the African coast and to Asia. His works are among surviving examples of mid-16th-century Portuguese nautical cartography. Little biographical information about Viegas is documented outside of his signed charts.
help Gaspar Viegas FAQ
Who was Gaspar Viegas?
Gaspar Viegas was a Portuguese cartographer active during the 1530s and 1540s. His work belongs to the period when Portuguese maritime exploration was rapidly expanding geographic knowledge.
What type of maps did Gaspar Viegas produce?
Viegas produced portolan charts, which were designed to record coastlines, ports, and navigational information. These maps were practical tools for seafaring rather than modern-style political maps.
Which regions appear in Gaspar Viegas's charts?
His charts documented parts of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions. They reflected information gathered through Portuguese voyages during the 16th century.
Why are Gaspar Viegas's maps important to maritime history?
His charts preserve the geographic knowledge available during the height of Portuguese exploration. They show how information from ocean voyages was converted into usable navigational documents in the 1530s and 1540s.
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