This Earthly Globe by Andrea Di Robilant explores the life of Giovambattista Ramusio, who compiled an influential collection of geographical information during the Renaissance. His work, Navigationi et Viaggi, published in three volumes between 1550 and 1559, serves as a major milestone in geography, offering unparalleled insights into remote lands including Africa, India, and the New World. The book highlights how Ramusio's compilation changed the dissemination of geographic knowledge in Venice and beyond, although some critiques mention a lack of depth in explaining his overarching narrative.
In the autumn of 1550, a thick volume containing a wealth of new geographical information and startling woodcut maps of Africa, India and Indonesia was published in Venice by the house of Giunti under the title Navigationi et Viaggi (Journeys and Navigations). This remarkable collection of travel narratives reflects how knowledge of distant lands circulated in Venice.
The combined publication of the three volumes—over two million words—constituted an unparalleled release of geographical data into the public domain, making it the biggest Wikileak of the Renaissance.
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