In Notitiam Ecclesiasticam Africae Tabula Geographica

Historical map of North Africa and the Mediterranean showing the organization of the church.

This map, originally drawn by Guillame Delisle, shows the relative political organization of the various sees and councils that comprised the Christian church in North Africa. After the Reconquista was completed, Spain, Italy, France and Portugal all tried their hand at colonial expansion in the area, and this brought a return of Catholicism and its organizational structure depicted here. According to the notes flanking the decorative title cartouche, cities that have held an ecclesiastical council are marked with an asterisk, and three previously planned sees were omitted from the map due to their existential uncertainty.

Routes joining the various cities and towns have been confirmed by multiple authors, whereas the locations of unconnected settlements are placed “without authority.” An erupting Mt. Etna, sandbanks in the Gulf of Sidra, and an Island of Lotus Eaters add to the charm of this gorgeous historical map.