18th Century Portolan Sea Chart of the Southern Iberian Coastline -- Escuela Nautica de Mataro (Catalonia)

Finely executed 18th Century Manuscript Sea Chart of the southern coast of Spain & Portugal, extending from the Algarve region to Marbella, Spain and the northern tip of Portugal, drawn by Mariano Campines at Escuela Nautica de Mataro (Mataro Naval School), near Barcelona, Spain.

The map illustrates the coastline and offshore features in fine detail, with soundings and coastal details measure to along the coastline out to a green line reprsenting a depth of 100 fathoms, with towns, fortifcations, harbors and other coastal features notes. Small arrows note the direction of the currents along the coastline.

The title of the map indicates that it is was copied from an original in Havana, dated 1776 (Sacado de su original en la Havana 1776). While we have located other Portolan Charts from the Escuela Real de Navigacion at Cadiz and at San Telmo (Sevilla), we can find no other examples of nautical charts produced in the Catalan Naval school in Mataro.

The following information was supplied by Portolan chart expert Richard Pflederer:

Rarity

We have been unable to locate any other examples of Portolan maps made at Mataro Naval Academy.

Note at the top right:

In Toda la Presenta costa el Aguas e P?? confucion y ??? alas . ... y Ban en orden alas Marciara quando acia e Agua ?ie???n por vacera la ??ron ??da e la A?ya en toda esta cota son 19 al No. ?? Deliniado por Mariano Campines en la Escuela Nautica de Martaro Ano de 1787