The first scholarly study of Fra Mauro’s world map

A lengthy description of the famous 15th century world map now in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice. Drawn on vellum between 1457 & 1459 by by Fra Mauro, a monk of the Camaldolese Monastery of St. Michael, on Murano in the Venetian Lagoon, it was the largest and most accurate map of the world of the period and is now the earliest surving medieval world map.. Placido Zurla (1769-1834) was a monk at the same monastery, enabling him to study the map at length. This study, containing the first published reproduction entitled: " Abbozzo del Mappamondo di F. Mauro Camnaldolese ", brought the map to the attention of the world. Zurla later served as Cardinal Vicar to Pope Leo XII and his two successors. This example has been rebound in the library binding of William Stirling, with his bookplate containing the Clan Sirling motto 'Gang Forward'.