Gallery of geographical maps

Gallery of geographical maps in the Vatican

The Geographic Maps Gallery ( Italian. Galleria delle Carte Geografiche ) is one of the three highest ( superiori ) galleries in the Papal Palace of the Vatican .

The gallery originated in 1578 - 1580 , for which the western wing of the Belvedere was increased by one floor under the guidance of the architect of the Papal Palace (from 1577 ) Ottaviano Mascherino ( Italian: Ottaviano Mascherino ). The gallery is a corridor 120 m long and 6 m wide. It is painted with 40 geographical maps depicting the former possessions of the Catholic Church and the most important regions of Italy in the era of Pope Gregory XIII. Some maps show views of individual cities, islands, and church properties. It also contains the map of Avignon (France), the former residence of the popes, as well as maps of Sicily , Sardinia and Corsica , which at that time were controlled by Spain, scenes of the siege of Malta , the battles of Lepanto and large-scale maps of the maritime republics of Genoa and Venice.

Detailed maps were commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in the cartographer and mathematician Ignazio Danti ( Italian: Ignazio Danti ) from Perugia to decorate the walls of the palace. Their manufacture took 3 years ( 1580 - 1583 years ). Maps are marked not only with geographical data, but also historical events, monuments and features of the places depicted, the seas are decorated with ships, sea monsters and mythological characters. The hall is divided into 17 parts, the maps are located from north to south; the ceiling is decorated with images from the life of the apostles , John the Baptist , St. Benedict , St. Bernard , Peter Damiani , popes Sylvester I , Celestine V , as well as 24 scenes from the Old Testament and landscapes, allegories and arabesques . The gallery divides the geography of Italy into two sides - one is washed by the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Sea , the other by the Adriatic .

A similar design of the premises can be found in the Florence Palazzo Vecchio , in the Hall of the Globe ( Italian: Sala del Mappamondo ).