Mapping the Early Modern World : Ptolemy’s Cosmography in Sixteenth Century Cracow

Abstract

Around 1490 Cracow saw the development of humanist interests in geography, as well as in the works of Claudius Ptolemaeus (circa 100-147) and other ancient geographers. The stay of the renown German humanist, Conradus Celtes, in Cracow (1446-1495) most likely contributed to this shift. Laurentius Corvinus (circa 1465- 1527), Silesian humanist and Neo-Latin poet, who between 1484- 1494 studied and then lectured in Cracow as docens extraneus non de facultate (his lectures were attended by, for example, young Nicolaus Copernicus), belonged to Celtes’ circle. As a result of his lectures in Cracow, Corvinus wrote the textbook entitled Cosmographia dans nanuductionem in tabulas Ptolemai [...], which was then published in Basel, in 1496. This paper presents the main facts concerning Corvinus’ life and discusses the content of his work. It also presents the circles of contemporary Renaissance humanists in Cracow, in particular scholars of geography and astronomy. This work played an important role in developing geographical knowledge among the humanists of Cracow. It also influenced humanist circles in Basel, Nuremberg and Tubingen. Today, Corvinus’ Cosmographia is a rather forgotten work, not often analyzed by researchers of the history of Polish geography and historians of older literature.