Henricus Martellus's 15th-Century Maps Document Europe's Shifting Worldview Before Columbus

German cartographer Henricus Martellus, active in Florence during the 1480s and 1490s, created world maps that reflect Europe's evolving geographical knowledge at the dawn of the Age of Exploration. His works blended Ptolemy's classical framework with new data from Portuguese voyages along Africa's coast. Martellus produced manuscripts like the 'Insularium Illustratum,' now held at institutions including the British Library and Yale University. These maps are significant for capturing a pre-Columbian European perspective, emphasizing updated Portuguese discoveries while maintaining a Eurocentric view. Research indicates Christopher Columbus likely consulted Martellus's cartography, and his work later influenced Martin Waldseemüller's 1507 map that first labeled America.