Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli facts for kids
Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli (born 1397, died 1482) was a famous Italian mathematician, astronomer, and cosmographer. He was a very smart person who lived during the Renaissance in Florence. He helped people understand more about the world and the stars.
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Life
Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli was born in Florence, Italy. His father, Domenico Toscanelli, was a doctor. We don't know much about Paolo's early schooling. He spent most of his life in Florence. He sometimes traveled to other Italian cities like Todi and Rome.
Toscanelli lived a long life and was very intelligent. He was a key figure in the early Renaissance in Florence. He had many famous friends. These included Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed the Florence Cathedral. Another friend was the philosopher Marsilio Ficino. He also knew Leon Battista Alberti, who was a mathematician and architect.
His closest friend was Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa. Nicholas was also a very smart person and a humanist. He even wrote some math books for Toscanelli. They also talked about math in a book called On Squaring the Circle. When Nicholas of Cusa was dying, Toscanelli traveled a long way to be with him.
Toscanelli and Nicholas of Cusa were part of a group of thinkers. This group searched for and studied old Greek math books. They worked with other scholars like Filelfo and George of Trebizond.
Cartography
In 1439, a Greek philosopher named Gemistos Plethon came to Florence. He told Toscanelli about the travels and maps of Strabo. Strabo was a Greek geographer from a long time ago. This knowledge helped Toscanelli later on.
In 1474, Toscanelli sent a letter and a map to a Portuguese priest named Fernão Martins. The letter explained a plan to sail west across the ocean. The goal was to reach the Spice Islands and Asia. Fernão Martins showed this letter to King Afonso V in Lisbon.
The original letter was lost. But Toscanelli wrote it again and sent it to Christopher Columbus. Columbus carried this letter and map with him on his first trip to the New World.
Toscanelli made some mistakes in his calculations. He thought Asia was 5,000 miles longer than it really was. Columbus also miscalculated the Earth's size by 25 percent. Because of these errors, Columbus did not realize at first that he had found a new continent.
There is a story that Toscanelli met a Chinese group in 1432. They talked about many Chinese inventions. Some people think this led to drawings by an artist named Taccola. These drawings were later used by Brunelleschi and Leonardo da Vinci.
In a letter to Columbus from 1474, Toscanelli mentioned a visit from men from Cathay (which is China). This happened when Pope Eugenius IV was in charge (1431–1447):
Also in the time of Eugenius one of them [from Cathay] came to Eugenius. He said they were very kind to Christians. I talked with him a long time about many things. We discussed how long and wide their rivers were. We also talked about the many cities along the rivers. He said one river had almost 200 cities with long, wide marble bridges. These bridges were decorated with columns everywhere. This country is worth looking for, not just for its great wealth. It has gold, silver, gems, and spices that never reach us. It is also worth seeking because of its learned men, philosophers, and expert astrologers. We can learn how such a powerful and great province is governed. We can also learn how their wars are fought.
– Extract of the First Letter of Paolo Toscanelli to Columbus
Some people think the man he met was Niccolo da Conti. Niccolo was returning from the East and met Pope Eugenius in 1444.
In a second letter, Toscanelli said these men were very smart. They were also willing to share their knowledge:
The said voyage is not only possible, but it is true. It will be honorable and bring great profit. It will also bring great fame among all Christians. But you can only know this perfectly through experience. I have had much good and true information from important, learned men. They came from those parts to Rome. I also heard from merchants who have done business there for a long time. These are men of high authority.
– Extract of the First Letter of Paolo Toscanelli to Columbus
Astronomy
Toscanelli was known for watching comets. He observed six comets. One was in 1472. Two were in 1457. He also saw one in 1456, which was later called Halley's Comet. He saw others in 1449 and 1433.
In 1475, he made a special hole in the dome of the Florence Cathedral. This hole was 91 meters (about 300 feet) above the floor. It acted like a gnomon. A gnomon is a device that uses the sun's light to tell time or track the sun's path.
The height of the hole meant a full line could not be drawn on the floor. But it allowed a short line of about 10 meters (33 feet) to be made. This line ran between the main altar and the north wall. This allowed people to observe the sun for about 35 days around the summer equinox.
See also
In Spanish: Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli para niños
- The Pinzon Brothers
- Juan de la Cosa
