The Council of Mallorca has completed the acquisition of Pere Rossell’s portolan chart at Sotheby’s London, in a transaction that adds this exceptional piece to the island’s public heritage. The document, dated 1447, is considered one of the most valuable works of medieval Mallorcan cartography and represents a milestone in the recovery of the island’s historical legacy.
The map, signed by the Mallorcan cartographer Pere Rossell—known as Petrus Roselli—is the oldest of the author’s known works and one of the most notable examples of the cartographic tradition developed in Mallorca between the 13th and 15th centuries. Drawn on vellum and written in Latin and Catalan, it depicts the Mediterranean world with great precision, including hundreds of place names written in Gothic script in black and red ink.
During the signing ceremony, the president of the Council of Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, noted that the purchase “marks a milestone for the island and for the preservation of heritage,” further emphasising that it allows for the recovery of “a key piece of our history that reinforces Mallorca’s role as a leading figure in medieval cartography.”
For her part, the Vice President and Minister of Culture and Heritage, Antònia Roca, described the work as “a true gem” that reflects the talent and international influence of medieval Mallorca.