Mapping the Early Modern World

Around 1490 Cracow saw the development of humanist interestsin geography, as well as in the works of Claudius Ptolemaeus (circa100-147) and other ancient geographers. The stay of the renownGerman humanist, Conradus Celtes, in Cracow (1446-1495) mostlikely contributed to this shift. Laurentius Corvinus (circa 1465-1527), Silesian humanist and Neo-Latin poet, who between 1484-1494 studied and then lectured in Cracow as docens extraneus non defacultate (his lectures were attended by, for example, young NicolausCopernicus), belonged to Celtes’ circle. As a result of his lecturesin Cracow, Corvinus wrote the textbook entitled Cosmographiadans nanuductionem in tabulas Ptolemai [...], which was then publishedin Basel, in 1496. This paper presents the main facts concerningCorvinus’ life and discusses the content of his work. It also presentsthe circles of contemporary Renaissance humanists in Cracow, inparticular scholars of geography and astronomy. This work playedan important role in developing geographical knowledge among thehumanists of Cracow. It also influenced humanist circles in Basel,Nuremberg and Tubingen. Today, Corvinus’ Cosmographia is a ratherforgotten work, not often analyzed by researchers of the history ofPolish geography and historians of older literature.