Forlani’s first map of the world, known as ‘Forlani 1’, in the second state, with the date altered from ‘MDLX’ to ‘MDLXII’. Separately published, and here with extended margins to bring the map to a standard size, as is a common feature of Italian maps of this time. Five separate states of this map are known, of which Forlani was responsible for the first two, published between 1560 and 1562. These are distinct from the three other world maps, all quite different, that Forlani made, which are known as ‘Forlani 2’ (1562), ‘Forlani 3’ (1565), and ‘Forlani 4’ (1570).


The map shows both seaboards of North and South America with great accuracy, except that North America is shown joined to Asia. The oceans are decorated with an array of sea monsters and Venetian galleys, sailing ships, and two fine compass roses. The border includes four strapwork cartouches that contain Forlani's title and imprint in the left and an armillary sphere and an Egyptian obelisk on the right.

Forlani relied greatly on the work of Gastaldi for the essential world outline and for virtually all the geographical detail. The only major deviation from Gastaldi’s world map is in North America where Forlani omitted the clumps of trees and inserted imaginary or reported towns and mountain ranges. The map includes several landmark firsts, including the first reference to 'Canada' on a printed map. North America is depicted as joining Asia. The seven Cities of Cibola (‘La Sete Ctia’) are named, with Cipola located to the South. Of the eastern place names, only Florida survives.

 (fl. 1560–1574), originally from Verona, was one of the more prolific mapmakers of the, so-called, ‘Lafreri School’ and worked mostly in Venice from 1560 onwards. He is associated with four of the leading publishers of the period, for whom he prepared maps: Giovanni Francesco Camocio, Ferando Bertelli, and Bolgnini Zaltieri from Venice and Claudio Duchetti from Rome. However, he is perhaps best known for his four world maps, known generally as ‘Forlani 1’ to ‘Forlani 4’. His map of North America is also notable as the first separate map of the continent.

This map, Forlani 1, is based on Giacomo Gastaldi's world map of 1546. Throughout the 1560s a later generation of Italian engravers and publishers, including Forlani, would produce and number of confusingly similar derivatives.

 was etched on copperplate and is the first known printed map to use the name ‘Canada’. It was heavily influenced by maps created by Giacomo Gastaldi, one of Forlani's colleagues, and was in turn a source of inspiration for later maps by 

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The geographical features shown on the map are rendered with fine detail and precision. Beautifully engraved sea monsters, galleys, and ships adorn the oceans, along with two compass roses. The cartouches to the left of the map contain Forlani's imprint and the map’s title. On the right, an armillary sphere and an Egyptian obelisk decorate the border. Contemporary extended margins have been added around the engraving itself so that the map would fit into a large atlas.

's maps in the 1560s, the name ‘Canada’, which likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word ‘kanata’ meaning ‘village’, had appeared on only a few manuscript depictions of the country. The Forlani maps popularized use of the name Canada in sixteenth-century Europe. Created just a few decades after French explorer Jacques Cartier's historic voyages up the Saint Lawrence River, the 1562 map also includes landmark references to the Arctic Ocean (‘Oceano Settentrionale’), Labrador (‘Tiera de Laborador’), and Stadacona (the St.-Lawrence Iroquois settlement at the future Quebec City), and Saguenay (‘Saguenai’).

Forlani’s first world map, known as 'Forlani 1'; and one of the earliest maps to name Canada.


Double-page copperplate engraved oval map of the world, with contemporary extended margins

Forlani’s First World Map