A representação do rio ‘das’ amazonas na cartografia quinhentista: entre a tradição e a experiência.

Abstract

This work focuses on the representation of the Amazon River during the sixteenth century. We tried to make an overview of the regional and world maps in the river tide appeared figured. Thus, manuscripts and copies printed by cartographers as Juan de La Cosa, Martin Waldseemuller, Lopo Homem, Diogo Ribeiro, Sebastian Cabot, Gerardus Mercator, Abraham Ortelius, Luis Teixeira and others were studied. The line of research was based on the New Cultural History and its inherent problems. The maps were included in a representation reflecting the imagery of that time. That is, the imagery together composing the cognitive repertoire of those individuals and their society from which the maps are witnesses. This concept combines the methodology undertaken by Brian Harley. Scholar of the maps, the author proposed a way to address the maps do not like nature of mirrors, but as human speeches laden with intrinsic senses. Thus, to study the cartographic representation of the Amazon River, the goal was to see how a cartographic tradition stemmed from the Middle Ages, on the one hand, and of antiquity, on the other influence. In parallel, also sought to determine the influence of boating experience and knowledge of the New World areas, and in particular the Amazon region. These two major aspects were seen in the first two chapters of this thesis. In the third there was a balance of these influences allying the particular issue of sixteenth-century cartographers. As its context generated particular issues and how could be a factor in the final work. In this way, represent the Rio 'the' Amazon, as it became known, would be faced with new data from a part of the newly known world and completing the blanks with data coming from a cartographic rhetoric. In addition, there were the issues inherent in the author's interest, the intentions of the individual calls. Thus, this study aims to be a small contribution to new directions of research involving maps.