Origins & Early Life

Fra Mauro (c. 1400 – 1464) was an Italian cartographer who lived in the Republic of Venice. He created the most detailed and accurate map of the world up until that time, the Fra Mauro map. Mauro was a monk of the Camaldolese Monastery of St.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Michael, located on the island of Murano in the Venetian Lagoon. It was there that he maintained a cartography workshop. He also was employed by some very powerful men like Prince Henry the Navigator. Fra Mauro was born before or around the year 1400. In his youth, Mauro had traveled extensively as a merchant and a soldier.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He was familiar with the Middle East. He is recorded in the records of the Monastery of St. Michael from 1409. As a lay member of the monastery, Mauro was employed as mapmaker. In the records of the monastery his main job was recorded as collecting the monastery's rents, but from the 1450s he is also mentioned as the creator of a series of world maps. Although he was no longer free to travel, due to his religious status, he would frequently consult with merchants of the city upon their return from overseas voyages.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Erik of Pomerania — Contemporary (Died in 1459) (1459): King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, ruling over the Kalmar Union.
• Jakob Fugger — Contemporary (Born in 1459) (1459): Wealthy German merchant, banker, and mining magnate who expanded the Fugger firm across Europe.
• Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor — Contemporary (Born in 1459) (1459): Habsburg ruler who navigated the Holy Roman Empire through strategic marriages and military expansion.
• Bartolomeo Colleoni — Historical peer (Born in 1400) (1400): Renowned 15th-century Italian condottiero and military officer of Venice.
• Chang Yŏngsil — Historical peer (Born in 1400) (1400): Pioneering Joseon Dynasty inventor and scientist, renowned for mechanical engineering.
• Cosimo de' Medici — Historical peer (Died in 1464) (1464): Banker and patron who established the Medici family's rule over Renaissance Florence.
• Emperor Yingzong of Ming — Historical peer (Died in 1464) (1464): Sixth and eighth Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, ruling during periods of great power and crisis.
• Francesc Eiximenis — Historical peer (Died in 1409) (1409): Influential Catalan Franciscan writer and philosopher of the 14th century.
• 1385 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1385
• 1459 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1459