Venice and Murano in 1534 by Benedetto Bordone: the ancient map that tells the story of the Venetian lagoon

This magnificent work by the renowned cartographer Benedetto Bordone depicts Venice and Murano surrounded by the waters of the Venetian lagoon, showcasing the urban and insular structure that made the city famous. Among the mapped buildings, you can identify compact architectural blocks, canals, and a dense network of bridges connecting the different parts of the city. The atmosphere conveyed by the map evokes a balance between geographical accuracy and an almost fairytale-like narrative, capturing both the uniqueness of the city on water and its commercial and cultural vitality in the sixteenth century. The image, marked by exceptional visual clarity, guides the observer’s gaze through the forms enclosed by the lagoon, emphasizing the relationship between Venice, its islands, and the surrounding sea.

BUY THE REPRODUCTION OF "VENICE/MURANO" BY BENEDETTO BORDONE

Style

Benedetto Bordone was a cartographer and limner active between the late fifteenth century and the first half of the sixteenth century, a period of great Renaissance ferment. The style of his map stands between the medieval tradition of symbolic representation and the new Renaissance demands for precision and geographical clarity. Within the image coexist decorative elements typical of illumination and a synthetic yet recognizable depiction of the islands and the city. Bordone drew inspiration from famous earlier maps, such as Jacopo de’ Barbari’s monumental perspective view of 1500, but he deliberately simplified the forms, foregoing three-dimensional virtuosity to prioritize readability and the map’s guiding function for travelers and merchants.

Color and light

The copies of the map were often hand-colored, enriched with a lively chromatic palette. The dominant tones are soft, with greens and blues for water and vegetation, yellows and reds for buildings and architectural details. The contrast between land and water areas emerges clearly, guiding the eye across the complex articulation of canals and islets. The light is not rendered in a realistic manner but is used instead to provide overall clarity, emphasizing the map’s informative purpose.

Space management

Bordone employs a flattened perspective, with an almost aerial view but without the naturalistic depth typical of Renaissance painted landscapes. Depth is suggested only by the overlapping of islands and the arrangement of buildings, while the viewpoint remains stable and frontal. The spaces are organized clearly and functionally: the main areas are easily recognizable, while the curved and harmonious water lines divide the scene and guide the gaze across the lagoon. There is great attention to the distribution of forms, aimed at facilitating consultation and memorization of places.

Composition and framing

The scene is composed with great balance: Venice occupies the central and slightly upper part of the map, surrounded by a border of lagoon and smaller islets. The arrangement of elements privileges symmetry and clarity, avoiding excessive decoration in order to keep reading effortless. The viewpoint is elevated so as to encompass the entirety of the islands and the lagoon environment. Each element is placed to be immediately identifiable, without overcrowding the space yet ensuring that the city’s key points and surroundings are recognizable.

Technique and materials

Bordone’s original map was created through woodcut, a technique in which the drawing is engraved onto a wooden block, then inked and printed onto paper. This method allowed for the production of multiple copies, making the work accessible to a wide audience. After printing, some images were often hand-colored with pigments of mineral and vegetable origin, giving each example a tactile and personal quality. The tools used include burins or knives for engraving and brushes for later coloring. The printing technique on paper, combined with the linearity of the mark, determines the visual appearance of the map, clear and orderly, designed for frequent consultation and resistant to daily use.

This map represents a successful encounter between art, craftsmanship and geographic knowledge, revealing the Renaissance sensibility for the world’s beauty and the usefulness of images. The city of Venice, in Bordone’s vision, becomes a symbol, a guide, and an artistic subject, evoking its uniqueness both for those who lived in it and those who dreamed of it through its images.