After 1558? Drawing in the translation of Peregrinus’ letter made by Filippo Pigafetta (1533-1604), manuscript: Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, published by Sturlese*, p. 94.

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Judith Albert

Judith Albert

First the sky (the celestial), then the earth. The sky serves as a model for understanding and measuring the earth. Peter Apian (1495–1552) explains how the transfer is done. One aspect of his book is “geography” as a measuring descripition of the earth (as a globe). This leads to measurement and representation of different spots of the earth in the so called “chorography”. This is the representation of space in a local dimension which is not affected by the curvature of the earth. The earth relates to the head as well as a local spot relates to the eye and the ear. Gemma Frisius (1508-1555) comments on this: Cosmographia (Antverpiae; Ioannis Bellerum, 1584), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, Ry 245, p. 2-3.

Determing the circumference of the earth by measuring the different angles of a star appearing above Bale and Cologne. Sebastian Münster, Cosmographia (Basel: Henricus Petrus, 1544), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, Res 121, p. 5.

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Judith Albert