Historedia
EuropeEvent

Publication of Theatrum Orbis Terrarum

When
1570
Where
Antwerp
Episodes
1

On 20 May 1570, Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum was published in Antwerp. Issued by Gilles Coppens de Diest, this work is recognized as the first modern atlas, marking the start of the Netherlandish cartographic Golden Age.

Episodes

  1. 20 May 1570 · AntwerpInitial Publication in Antwerp

    The first edition of Theatrum Orbis Terrarum was issued in Antwerp on 20 May 1570.

Background and detail

Historical Significance. The atlas is considered the first true modern atlas and the summary of sixteenth-century cartography. Its publication is often cited as the official beginning of the Golden Age of Netherlandish cartography, which lasted until the 1670s.

People involved

Sources

  1. Abraham Ortelius Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-14
  2. Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Wikipedia, revision of 2026-04-23

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.