Description

The first edition of Isidore of Seville’s medieval encyclopedia, Etymologiae, is highly significant and considered of greater importance than contemporary incunable encyclopedias. It contains the earliest printed map of the world and served as a valuable source of information for natural philosophers, geographers, and navigators during the Renaissance. Isidore’s work was immensely influential in the Latin West for nearly a thousand years, second only to the Bible. The fine woodcut of the tree of knowledge and the “T-O” map illustrate Isidore’s systematic approach to organizing knowledge.

The encyclopedia dates back to the 7th century and covers various subjects, including geography, architecture, shipbuilding, astronomy, medicine, and natural wonders. It was the most popular compendium in medieval libraries and played a crucial role in preserving ancient knowledge through to the age of printing. Isidore’s work, known as “Etymologies, or the Origins of Words,” provided both factual and fantastical information from ancient authors, becoming the chief authority of the Middle Ages.

In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared Isidore the patron saint of the internet due to his efforts in synthesizing and organizing all existing knowledge.