Martín Cortés de Albacar

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For other people named Martín Cortés, see Martín Cortés.

Commemorative plaque dedicated to Martín Cortés de Albacar on the town hall of Bujaraloz.

Martín Cortés de Albacar (1510–1582) was a Spanish cosmographer.[1] In 1551 he published the standard navigational textbook Arte de navegar (also known as Breve compendio)[2]

Cortés was born in Bujaraloz, province of Zaragoza, Aragon. From 1530, in Cádiz, he taught cosmography and the art of navigation to pilots.

Art of Navigation[]

Cortés' book, Breve compendio,...Arte de navegar was promoted by Steven Borough who had it translated into English by Richard Eden and published in 1561 entitled The . As such it became the first English manual of navigation[3] and the primary text for European navigation throughout the early 17thC, enjoyed by such as Martin Frobisher and Francis Drake.[1]

Arte de navegar was a practical book in which Cortés discussed, in a concise manner, navigation, cosmography and problems such as magnetic declination for which he hypothesised a Celestial magnetic pole.[1]

He included many illustrations and models for making instruments.[4] and the text contained the earliest known description of the Nocturnal[5] and how to make and use a sea astrolabe[6][7]

Cortés' calculations were critical in allowing explorers to ascertain their location when out of sight of land.[4]

In 1574, the mathematician William Bourne, produced a popular version of the book, entitled A Regiment for the Sea. Bourne was critical of some aspects of Arte de Navegar and produced a manual of more practical use to the seaman.[8]

He died aged 72.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c p131 Antonio Barrera-Osorio Experiencing nature: the Spanish American empire and the early scientific revolution; University of Texas Press, 2006
  2. ^ Breve compendio de la sphera y de la arte de navegar, con nuevos instrumentos y reglas, exemplificado com muy subtiles demostraciones Digitazing Library of Chile
  3. ^ Andrew Hadfield, ‘Eden, Richard (c.1520–1576)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Antonio Barrera, Colgate University, Navigational Manual of Cortés Archived 2 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Harriet Wynter and Anthony Turner, Scientific Instruments, Studio Vista, 1975, ISBN 0-289-70403-0
  6. ^ See es:Martín Cortés de Albacar for the Spanish Wikipedia biography
  7. ^ Swanick, Lois Ann. An Analysis of Navigational Instruments in the Age of Exploration: 15th Century to Mid-17th century, MA Thesis, Texas A&M University, December 2005
  8. ^ G. L'E. Turner, 'Bourne, William (c.1535–1582)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
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