Ptolemy’s Map of the Iberian Peninsula – FREE
Ptolemy's Map of the Iberian Peninsula – Spain and Portugal
A map taken from Claudius Ptolemy’s *Cosmographia*, derived from the manuscript Pluteo 30.3, held at the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence6 KEY POINTS
- Mappa della penisola iberica e dell’antica Hispania nella grande tradizione cartografica tolemaica
- Taken from a 15th-century historical manuscript preserved in Florence
- Free Edition without a frame, giving you complete freedom to display your artwork
- Limited edition of 149 numbered copies
- 24-month warranty and 30-day right of withdrawal
- Decorations with embossed gold leaf
Want more information about this product? Click here and fill out the form to be contacted by one of our curators.
299,00 €
- Description
Description
An extraordinary cartographic plate of the Iberian Peninsula, drawn from Claudius Ptolemy’s Cosmographia and inspired by one of the most fascinating examples of Renaissance geographical tradition. It not only depicts Spain: it encompasses the entire Iberian peninsula, including ancient Hispania, Portugal, the Balearic Islands, the inland mountains, and the deep blue seas. The original plate’s gilded border and the embossed gold leaf decorations convey the allure of a vision in which science, art, and imagination coexist in perfect balance.
Available in a frameless “Free” edition, this version is designed for those who wish to receive the artwork in its most essential and versatile form, giving them the freedom to choose the display option that best suits their taste and space.
THE MANUSCRIPT FROM WHICH IT IS OBTAINED
This plate is taken from the manuscript Pluteo 30.3, housed at the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence. The codex belongs to the 15th-century Ptolemaic tradition, attributable to Niccolò Germanico, in the Latin translation from the Greek by Iacopo Angeli da Scarperia, which was published under the title Cosmography.
We are not faced with a simple decorative image, but a panel born from a specific manuscript and scientific tradition. In the Geographia, Ptolemy organized the inhabited world through coordinates, latitudes, and longitudes, offering one of the highest expressions of geographical knowledge of the ancient world. In this panel, this vision focuses on the Iberian Peninsula and ancient Hispania, represented as a geographical, cultural, and symbolic space between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
DESCRIPTION
Ptolemy’s Map of the Iberian Peninsula represents ancient Hispania within the framework of the Ptolemaic geographical tradition, encompassing the space we today associate primarily with Spain and Portugal. It is not a modern view, nor a map constructed according to our contemporary perspective: rather, it is a form of ancient knowledge, in which the territory is measured, ordered, and transformed into an image.
The allure of this work stems from its balance between rigor and wonder. The Iberian Peninsula opens between the Mare Ibericum, the Balearic Sea, and the Western Ocean, accompanied by Latin place names, mountain ranges, waterways, islands, and coastlines that lend the whole a cultured, authoritative, and immediately recognizable presence. The exquisite gilded border and the relief gold leaf decorations contribute to making the plate not only a document of a cartographic tradition, but also an object of strong visual impact.
This edition is available in its unframed version. This option is designed for those who wish to enjoy the artwork in its most unencumbered and personal form: ready to be displayed as is, or later enhanced with a frame chosen to suit your taste, your space, and your own sense of beauty.
Designed for collectors, scholars, bibliophiles, and lovers of ancient cartography, Ptolemy’s Map of the Iberian Peninsula is ideal for a private library, a professional office, a formal space, or a collection dedicated to the great masterpieces of European memory. It doesn’t just decorate: it tells a story.
WHAT YOU ARE PURCHASING
- Ptolemy’s Map of the Iberian Peninsula
- Format 59 x 43 cm
- A numbered copy from a limited edition of 149 copies
- Free Edition frameless
- Gold leaf decorations in relief
- Certificate of authenticity / colophon with the work’s number
- Exclusive access to the Antiquus reserved area with in-depth digital content
- Brief description of the work
YOUR SEAL
Each piece is part of a limited, numbered edition of 149. Not just a decorative print, but an identifiable collector’s card, selected and reserved for a select few.
This version is unframed, offering you maximum display freedom: you can keep it as is or later choose the frame that best suits your space, your taste, and your idea of elegance.
Your card. Your number. Your display choice.
WHY CHOOSE THE FREE EDITION
The frameless Free edition is ideal for those who want:
- choose the most suitable frame on your own
- coordinate the artwork with classic or contemporary furnishings
- go to your trusted framer
- create a customized display solution
- buy the board in its most basic and versatile form
ANTIQUUS GUARANTEES
Your purchase includes:
- 24 month warranty
- 30-day right of withdrawal
Because a fine piece of work must offer not only charm and cultural value, but also protection and peace of mind over time.
A SMALL INVITATION TO THE GAME
Look for the words “Hispania tota,” observe the outline of the Iberian Peninsula, identify the Balearic Islands in Balearicus Pelagus, and be amazed by how this territory was imagined and designed in a time before satellites, aerial photography, or digital maps. This is also the charm of this plate: it reminds us that, before absolute precision, there was intelligence, observation, and wonder.
CONCLUSIONS
Ptolemy’s Map of the Iberian Peninsula is an invitation to contemplate ancient Hispania and the Iberian Peninsula through the eyes of ancient tradition. A work that combines visual power, historical memory, and cultural prestige.
In this unframed Free edition, the panel retains all its essential elegance and gives you the freedom to complete it according to your taste. Not just a purchase, but a choice of taste, culture, and identity.
FAQ – Ptolemy’s Map of the Iberian Peninsula
No. This is the Free version, so the print is sold unframed, giving the buyer the freedom to choose their preferred display option.
To offer greater aesthetic and practical flexibility. Every room has its own unique style, and this solution allows you to showcase your artwork with the frame that best suits your space.
The map is taken from the Pluteo 30.3 manuscript in the Laurentian Library in Florence, a 15th-century codex associated with the Ptolemaic cartographic tradition.
It represents ancient Hispania according to the geographical tradition of Ptolemy: the Iberian Peninsula, the current territories of Spain and Portugal, the Balearic Islands and the context of the surrounding seas, interpreted according to the language of ancient cartography.
Yes. Each piece is part of a limited, numbered edition of 149 pieces.
The paper measures 59 cm wide and 43 cm tall.
Yes. The panel features embossed gold leaf decorations, designed to enhance the precious nature of the work even in the Free version without a frame.
It is designed as a collector’s item, not merely as a decorative piece. Its numbering, colophon, and Antiquus format make it ideal for those seeking cultural value, identity, and prestige.
It is ideal for professional studios, libraries, living rooms, reception areas and private collections.
Yes. That’s exactly the idea behind the Free edition: buy the print now and decide later how to frame it, according to your own taste.
The purchase is covered by a 24-month warranty.
Yes. You have a 30-day right of withdrawal, subject to the terms and conditions applicable to the purchase.
