15th century

 

 
icon The Cartographers
Cartography evolved rapidly during the 16th-century. It developed from being a relatively primitive art, at the turn-of-the-century, into splendid cartographic examples such as the 1599 polar chart forged by Willem Barentsz. Olaus Magnus's Carta Marina (1539) resulted in new knowledge of Scandinavia. And Ortelius created a likeness of Scandinavia on his map that resembles a modern edition. Lucas Waghenaer produced the first sea chart showing the coast of Finnmark.
icon Richard Chancellor
In 1553, Richard Chancellor and his crew sailed around the North Cape to the White Sea, trying to find a new trading route to the far east.
icon Olaus Magnus
Olaus Magnus published his work, Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus, in 1555.
icon Willem Barentsz
Willem Barentsz made journeys in 1594-1597 in attempts to find the Northeast Passage to the Far East. He rediscovered Svalbard in 1596.
icon Christian IV
The Danish-Norwegian king, Christian IV, left on a journey from Copenhagen to Finnmark, and the northwestern part of Russia, in 1599.

top

   © University Library of Tromsø - 1999.
The Northern Lights Route is part of The Council of Europe Cultural Routes. The Cultural Routes are an invitation to Europeans to wander the paths and explore the places where the unity and diversity of our European identity were forged.
nblogo