This book of maps and text published in Ulm, Germany by Lienhart Holle was supposed to have the most accurate and up-to-date maps available to that time. The text was the translation of Ptolemy’s second century text by Jacopo d’Angelo, edited by Nicolaus Germanus. This critical edition of the Geographia was a reference book of great importance, a careful, scholarly edition of a book that influenced European geographical thought for centuries.

Olaus knew the map in it of Scandinavia was hopelessly wrong, since he lived there. As a corrective for this map, Olaus made a remarkable map of Scandinavia. It was the first large-scale map of any European region.

The Carta Marina is a wonderful map, just as fascinating for us today as it was at the time it was printed. [Click on map for a larger version. Visit the Virtual Tour for enlarged details.]