Jehudà Cresques (Catalan pronunciation:[ʒəuˈðaˈkɾeskəs], 1360-1410), also known as Jafudà Cresques, Jaume Riba, and Cresques lo Juheu ("Cresques the Jew"),[1] was a conversocartographer from Majorca in the early 15th century.
An allegorical Statue of Jehuda Cresques at Palma's "Plaça del Temple"
Cresques' work was highly sought after. In 1390 John I of Aragon paid 60 livres and 8 sous for one of his maps. After the Aragonese persecutions of 1391 he was forcibly converted[1] to Christianity, at which time he took the name Jaume Riba, Jacobus Ribus, in Latin. He appears to have remained in Majorca for a considerable time and to have become known to the people there as "lo jueu buscoler", the map Jew, or "el jueu de les bruixoles", the compass Jew.
'Mestre Jacome'edit
It has long been believed that Jehuda Cresques is the same person as 'Mestre Jacome', a Majorcan cartographer induced by the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator to move to Portugal in the 1420s to train Portuguese map-makers in Majorcan-style cartography.[2] 'Jacome of Majorca' was described as the head of Henry's legendary observatory and "school" at Sagres by Samuel Purchas, though the existence of the alleged school has long been discounted.[3]
The identification of "Mestre Jacome" with Jehuda Cresques" is principally due to the Catalan historian Gonzalo de Reparaz (1930).[4] More recent research argues that Jehuda Cresques was dead by 1410,[5] and "Mestre Jacome" must have been someone else, identity still indeterminate - Majorca had many skilled Jewish cartographers.
^"Mestre Jacome" the Majorcan cartographer is first mentioned by Duarte Pacheco Pereira in his Esmeraldo de situ Orbis (c.1507, p.58). João de Barros, in his Decadas de Asia (1552: I.16 p.133) adds that he was also a master instrument-maker.
^"He also from Majorca caused one Master James, a man skilfull (sic) in Navigation, in Maps and Sea Instruments, to be brought into Portugall, there at his charge as it were, to erect a Schoole of Marinership, and to instruct his Countreymen in that Mysterie." Samuel Purchas, Hakluytus Posthumus, (1625, vol. 2, pt.2 p.11) On the existence of the school, see ‘The alleged nautical school founded in the fifteenth century at Sagres by Prince Henry of Portugal, called the ‘Navigator’’, in W. G. L. Randles, Geography, cartography and nautical science in the Renaissance: the impact of the great discoveries (Aldershot, 2000), pp. 1 – 14.
^Reparaz (1930) bases his argument on the finding that the navigational charts given to Pêro da Covilhã and Afonso de Paiva in 1487 were based on maps drafted earlier by "Mestre Moyses" and "Jaime Ribera", the latter whom Reparaz takes to be Jaume Riba or Jacobus Ribus, the New Christian name of Jehuda Cresques. Reparaz suggests he came to Portugal sometime between 1420 and 1427, thus probably already in his seventies.
Jacobs, Story of Geographical Discovery, pp. 60–62.
Reparaz, Gonzalo de (1930) Mestre Jácome de Mallorca: Cartógrafo do Infante Coimbra (offprint from Biblias journal of the Faculty of Letters of Coimbra).
Riera i Sans, Jaume, "Jafudà Cresques, jueu de Mallorca", in Randa n. 5 (1977) 51-66. (English translation online)
Riera i Sans, Jaume - Gabriel Llompart, "Jafudà Cresques i Samuel Corcós. Més documents sobre els jueus pintors de cartes de navegar (Mallorca, s. XIV)", in Bolletí de la Societat Arqueològica Lul·liana n. 40 (1984) 341-350. (English translation online)
www.cresquesproject.net—Translation in English of the works of Riera i Sans and Gabriel Llompart on the Jewish Majorcan mapmakers of the Late Middle Ages. They include very complete biographies of Jafudà Cresques and his father Cresques Abraham.
February 15, 2024
jehuda, cresques, jehudà, cresques, catalan, pronunciation, ʒəuˈða, ˈkɾeskəs, 1360, 1410, also, known, jafudà, cresques, jaume, riba, cresques, juheu, cresques, converso, cartographer, from, majorca, early, 15th, century, allegorical, statue, palma, plaça, tem. Jehuda Cresques Catalan pronunciation ʒeuˈda ˈkɾeskes 1360 1410 also known as Jafuda Cresques Jaume Riba and Cresques lo Juheu Cresques the Jew 1 was a converso cartographer from Majorca in the early 15th century An allegorical Statue of Jehuda Cresques at Palma s Placa del Temple Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Mestre Jacome 2 See also 3 References 4 BibliographyBiography editThe son of Abraham Cresques a famous Jewish cartographer he was born in a Jewish family in Majorca in the Majorcan Catalan speaking part of Crown of Aragon in present day Spain Together he and his father were the probable authors of the famous Catalan Atlas of 1375 Cresques work was highly sought after In 1390 John I of Aragon paid 60 livres and 8 sous for one of his maps After the Aragonese persecutions of 1391 he was forcibly converted 1 to Christianity at which time he took the name Jaume Riba Jacobus Ribus in Latin He appears to have remained in Majorca for a considerable time and to have become known to the people there as lo jueu buscoler the map Jew or el jueu de les bruixoles the compass Jew Mestre Jacome edit It has long been believed that Jehuda Cresques is the same person as Mestre Jacome a Majorcan cartographer induced by the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator to move to Portugal in the 1420s to train Portuguese map makers in Majorcan style cartography 2 Jacome of Majorca was described as the head of Henry s legendary observatory and school at Sagres by Samuel Purchas though the existence of the alleged school has long been discounted 3 The identification of Mestre Jacome with Jehuda Cresques is principally due to the Catalan historian Gonzalo de Reparaz 1930 4 More recent research argues that Jehuda Cresques was dead by 1410 5 and Mestre Jacome must have been someone else identity still indeterminate Majorca had many skilled Jewish cartographers See also editMajorcan cartographic schoolReferences edit a b Cresques lo Juheu Mestre Jacome the Majorcan cartographer is first mentioned by Duarte Pacheco Pereira in his Esmeraldo de situ Orbis c 1507 p 58 Joao de Barros in his Decadas de Asia 1552 I 16 p 133 adds that he was also a master instrument maker He also from Majorca caused one Master James a man skilfull sic in Navigation in Maps and Sea Instruments to be brought into Portugall there at his charge as it were to erect a Schoole of Marinership and to instruct his Countreymen in that Mysterie Samuel Purchas Hakluytus Posthumus 1625 vol 2 pt 2 p 11 On the existence of the school see The alleged nautical school founded in the fifteenth century at Sagres by Prince Henry of Portugal called the Navigator in W G L Randles Geography cartography and nautical science in the Renaissance the impact of the great discoveries Aldershot 2000 pp 1 14 Reparaz 1930 bases his argument on the finding that the navigational charts given to Pero da Covilha and Afonso de Paiva in 1487 were based on maps drafted earlier by Mestre Moyses and Jaime Ribera the latter whom Reparaz takes to be Jaume Riba or Jacobus Ribus the New Christian name of Jehuda Cresques Reparaz suggests he came to Portugal sometime between 1420 and 1427 thus probably already in his seventies e g Jaume Riera i Sans 1977Bibliography editQuadrado in Boletin de la Real Academia de la Historia xix 299 309 Hamy in Bulletin de Geographie 1891 pp 218 222 Meyer Kayserling Christopher Columbus pp 5 8 Jacobs Story of Geographical Discovery pp 60 62 Reparaz Gonzalo de 1930 Mestre Jacome de Mallorca Cartografo do Infante Coimbra offprint from Biblias journal of the Faculty of Letters of Coimbra Rey Pastor and Garcia Camarero La Cartografia Mallorquina 1960 pp 56 61 Riera i Sans Jaume Jafuda Cresques jueu de Mallorca in Randa n 5 1977 51 66 English translation online Riera i Sans Jaume Gabriel Llompart Jafuda Cresques i Samuel Corcos Mes documents sobre els jueus pintors de cartes de navegar Mallorca s XIV in Bolleti de la Societat Arqueologica Lul liana n 40 1984 341 350 English translation online www cresquesproject net Translation in English of the works of Riera i Sans and Gabriel Llompart on the Jewish Majorcan mapmakers of the Late Middle Ages They include very complete biographies of Jafuda Cresques and his father Cresques Abraham Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jehuda Cresques amp oldid 1203630148, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
