Porcacchi Castilione, Tomaso (1530 - 1585)

Tomaso Porcacchi Castilione (1530 - 1585) was a Venetian geographer, humanist, historian, and author active in the mid 16th century. Porcacchi, as he is most commonly known, was born in the Val di Chiana and lived for a time in Florence and where he enjoyed the patronage of Cosimo de Medici. He was married to the Italian poetess Bianca d'Este. Porcacchi is best known as the author of the 1572 L'Isole piu Famose del Mondo. L'Isole was published in response to increase in general interest in geography following the many important explorations and discoveries of the last century. His most important cartographic contribution is the Mundo Novo, the first specific map of North America as a continent - published in L'Isole. Porcacchi died in Venice in 1585.