10 Facts about Mappa Mundi

Post On: May 17, 2017
By: Agustina

Look at facts about Mappa Mundi to get more interesting information about a medieval European map. The largest one has the diameter of 11 feet and 6 inches or 3.5 metres. The simple one had the size of an inch or 25 mm. The term mappa mundi is taken from the Medieval Latin word. The term Mappa means chart or cloth. On the other hand, mundi means of the world. Let us show you the elaborate details of Mappa mundi below:

Facts about Mappa Mundi 1: the number of survived Mappa mundi

The number of survived Mappa mundi reached 1,100 pieces. All of them were created from the medieval period.

Facts about Mappa Mundi 2: the design

The Mappa mundi, which featured illustrating manuscripts, are found on at least 900 pieces of 1,100 pieces. The rest of them were in the form of documents.

Facts about Mappa Mundi

Facts about Mappa Mundi

Facts about Mappa Mundi 3: the major varieties

There are four major varieties of Mappa mundi. They include the complex maps, quadripartite maps, tripartite maps and Zonal maps.



Facts about Mappa Mundi 4: transitional Mappa mundi

Transitional Mappa mundi is also called the fifth type of Mappa mundi, which combines the traditional characteristics of Mappa mundi and other elements of map. The examples of the fifth type included Ptolemy’s Geography and Portolan charts.

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Facts about Mappa Mundi 5: zonal maps

The pictures, which depicted the East Hemisphere, are depicted in the zonal maps. The primary function was to divide the world according to the climate zones.

Mappa Mundi Facts

Mappa Mundi Facts

Facts about Mappa Mundi 6: the division of zonal maps

The zonal maps have five climate divisions. They are southern Frigid Zone, southern temperate zone, equatorial tropical zone, northern temperate zone and northern Frigid Zone.

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Facts about Mappa Mundi 7: the inhabitable one

The inhabitable one according to the zonal map was the region with temperate zones.

Facts about Mappa Mundi 8: T-O maps

T-O maps are different from the zonal one for it only covered the area in medieval period and Roman period. The T was used to divide the circle O in the map. The European, African and Asian continents represented the three divisions.

Mappa Mundi Pictures

Mappa Mundi Pictures

Facts about Mappa Mundi 9: the Beatus Maps

The missions of 12 apostles of Jesus Christ were illustrated in the Beatus maps.

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Facts about Mappa Mundi 10: the most notable map

The most notable map of Mappa mundi is the complex. It is also called as the great world map. The provinces, towns, cities, rivers, mountain and coastal areas were depicted in the maps.

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