Itinerary Map (Matthew Paris) · March 18th, 2006
Matthew Paris, "Itinerary from Bar-sur-Seine to Troyes" (verso) and "Itinerary from La-Tour-du-Pin to Chambéry" (recto), circa 1255, 36 x 25cm: in The history of cartography vol.1, plate 38
Medieval maps like Paris’ Itinerary typically only featured straight paths of trails, along with stages acting as operational indications for the purpose of pilgrimage. They were more like memorandums prescribing actions to be done.
The rise of the modern scientific discourse between the 15th to 17th century saw geographical maps progressively moving away from depicting itineraries and suites of actions to a more “theatrical” view (Atlases were then called “theaters”) where different elements are juxtaposed and are the product of an observation. Itineraries disappear, and heterogeneous elements are gathered to form a picture of the “state” of current geographical knowledge. From then on, maps have been red as a system of isolated geographical loci, and no longer as a series of operations retracing a narrative or helping way-finding.
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June 19th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
[...] personal and imperceptible affects. Symbolically, the fresco can be read like Matthew Paris’ Itinerary Map, a roadmap depicting stage points along the journey to the Holy Land – train travel being here the [...]