This article examines an unstudied episode in history of the toponymy of the Azores: a number of sixteenth-century maps label the islands the Insulae solis, or Islands of the Sun. Following a brief discussion of «islands of the sun» in classical literature, the author suggests that this name for the Azores derived ultimately from an eleventh-century text describing the visit of one Trezenzonio to a mythical paradise island in the Atlantic, which was called the Great Island of the Solistice – which island appears on the late eleventh-century Burgo de Osma Beatus map. The Azores are first labeled «insulae solis» on the «King-Hamy» map of c. 1502, and subsequently on the «Kunstmann II» world map of 1502-1506, an anonymous map in British Library Add. MS 31316, f. 5, Johann Schöner’s 1520 globe, an anonymous world map of c. 1530 in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Borgiano II); and on an anonymous map of c. 1530 in a Latin manuscript of Ptolemy’s Geography (BAV, MS Urb. Lat. 274, ff. 73v-74r). This name for the Azores is common in the atlases produced by Battista Agnese, who worked in Venice between 1536 and 1564, and in the atlases of Agnese’s pupil Francesco Ghisolfi (or Gisolfo). The toponym finally disappeared from maps in the seventeenth century.

Gallia, A. (2010). Storia delle Azzorre quali Insulae solis o Isole del sole nella cartografia del XVI secolo. GEOSTORIE, XVIII(1-2), 87-109.

Storia delle Azzorre quali Insulae solis o Isole del sole nella cartografia del XVI secolo

Arturo Gallia
2010-01-01

Abstract

This article examines an unstudied episode in history of the toponymy of the Azores: a number of sixteenth-century maps label the islands the Insulae solis, or Islands of the Sun. Following a brief discussion of «islands of the sun» in classical literature, the author suggests that this name for the Azores derived ultimately from an eleventh-century text describing the visit of one Trezenzonio to a mythical paradise island in the Atlantic, which was called the Great Island of the Solistice – which island appears on the late eleventh-century Burgo de Osma Beatus map. The Azores are first labeled «insulae solis» on the «King-Hamy» map of c. 1502, and subsequently on the «Kunstmann II» world map of 1502-1506, an anonymous map in British Library Add. MS 31316, f. 5, Johann Schöner’s 1520 globe, an anonymous world map of c. 1530 in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Borgiano II); and on an anonymous map of c. 1530 in a Latin manuscript of Ptolemy’s Geography (BAV, MS Urb. Lat. 274, ff. 73v-74r). This name for the Azores is common in the atlases produced by Battista Agnese, who worked in Venice between 1536 and 1564, and in the atlases of Agnese’s pupil Francesco Ghisolfi (or Gisolfo). The toponym finally disappeared from maps in the seventeenth century.
2010
Este articulo examina un episodio de la historia de la toponimia de las Azores no estudiado hasta el momento: varios mapas del siglo XVI denominan dichas islas Insulae solis, o las Islas del Sol. Despues de un breve analisis de las «islas del sol» en la literatura clasica, el autor sugiere que este nombre de las Azores derivo en origen de un texto del siglo XI que describe la visita de un Trezenzonio a una isla mitica del paraiso en el Atlantico, llamada la Gran Isla del Solsticio, que aparece en el mapa del Beato de Burgo de Osma (finales del siglo XI). Las Azores son senaladas como «insulae solis» por primera vez en el mapa «King-Hamy» de c. 1502, y posteriormente en el mapa «Kunstmann II» de 1502-1506, un mapa anonimo en la British Library Add. MS 31316, f. 5, el globo de Johann Schoner de 1520, un mapa del mundo anonimo de c. 1530 de la Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Borgiano II); y en un mapa anonimo de c. 1530 de un manuscrito latino de le Geografia de Ptolomeo (BAV, MS Urb. Lat. 274, ff. 73v-74r). Este nombre para las Azores es comun en los atlas producidos por Battista Agnese, quien trabajo en Venecia entre 1536 y 1564, y en los atlas de Francesco Ghisolfi (o Gisolfo), alumno de Agnese. El toponimo finalmente desaparecio de los mapas en el siglo XVII.
Gallia, A. (2010). Storia delle Azzorre quali Insulae solis o Isole del sole nella cartografia del XVI secolo. GEOSTORIE, XVIII(1-2), 87-109.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11590/398962
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