PORTOLANI
The following post is by courtesy of Melanie Phillips
www.melaniephillips.com omitted due to some technical glitch
Comments on current political affairs, blog reviews, book reviews, leads to longer articles in supplement at Portolani Special. All in language of origin: Portuguese or English. Sorry,no translation.
Portolani, known also as portolans, were early maps used by seafarers to find their way round the coasts of the Mediterranean. Because they were produced by draftsmen on dry land from the accounts furnished by medieval sailors they were not very accurate; but they were better than nothing and gave mariners some idea of the dangers to avoid. This site aims to chart some of the dangers facing modern navigators who must cope with even rockier costs.