Abraham Cresques

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Abraham Cresques (d. 1387) was a Catalan Jewish Cartographer from Palma de Mallorca, who, in collaboration with his son Jehuda Cresques compiled the Catalan Atlas of 1375.

A part of the Catalan Atlas by Abraham and Jehuda Cresques
A part of the Catalan Atlas by Abraham and Jehuda Cresques

Abraham dedicated his life to the making of maps, and the construction of clocks, compasses, and other kinds of maritime instruments, until 1375, when he and his son received an assignment from Prince John of Aragon (later to be John I of Aragon) to make a full series of nautical charts which represented the "East and the West, and everything that, from the Strait (of Gibraltar) leads to the West". For this job, Abraham and Jehuda would get paid 150 Aragonese Golden Florins, and 60 Mallorcan Pounds, respectively, as it is stated in 14th century documents from the Prince himself and his father Peter IV of Aragon. The purpose Prince John had in mind for the charts was to give these to his cousin Charles, later to be Charles VI, King of France, as a present. In that year 1375 Abraham and Jehuda drew the four charts of the Catalan Atlas at their house in the Jewish quarter of Palma de Mallorca (most likely).

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