Cosmographic Book (Cosmographicus Liber)

What is Geography.

Geography is not a painting, but an imitation or a beginning of a painting.

Geography (as Werner Johannes Werner (1468–1528), a German mathematician and geographer whose work on Ptolemy was highly influential. says in his paraphrase) is a description of the earth’s own principal and known parts: to the extent that the whole known world of lands is composed from them. It is a certain formula and imitation of a painting of any of the more remarkable things that belong to these parts of the earth. It differs from Cosmography because it distinguishes the land by mountains, rivers, and seas, and other notable features, without using the system of circles The astronomical circles such as the equator, tropics, and meridians used in Cosmography.. It is especially helpful to those who desire to have an exact knowledge of history original: "rerum gestarum" and myths original: "fabularum". For a painting, or the imitation of a painting, very easily leads the order and position of places into the memory. Therefore, the completion and goal of Geography consists of a view of the entire world, imitating those who represent the likeness of an entire head through suitable paintings.

Two woodcut illustrations side-by-side. The left image shows a circular map of the world (mappa mundi) with simplified landmasses representing Europe, Africa, and Asia. The right image shows a detailed profile of a man's head with curly hair and a beard. This visual analogy illustrates the text's claim that geography is to the world what a portrait is to a person's head.

What is Chorography:

Chorography is a perfect and finished painting, and no one can do it unless he is a painter original: "homo pi[ctor]".

Chorography, however (according to Werner), which is also called Topography From the Greek "topos" (place) and "graphia" (writing/description)., considers specific, local places on their own and absolutely, without comparing them to each other or to the whole circumference of the earth. Indeed, it records and follows almost all the smallest things contained within them, such as ports, villages, towns, the flow of small streams, and whatever else is neighboring to them, such as buildings, houses, towers, walls, etc. Its goal will be reached by the painter exercising his skill in representing the likeness of the individual parts of a place—just as if a painter were to draw and paint only an ear or an eye.