This qualitative analysis of symbolic elements in nautical cartography aims to provide an interdisciplinary insight into some aspects of early modern cartographic representations of the Adriatic Sea. The nautical charts were supplemented with compass roses, a graphic structure that facilitates orientation and correlates with rhumb lines. The research objective focusses primarily on the variety of signs for the cardinal directions north and east, additionally considering some rare but innovative and avant-garde pragmatic uses of compass roses to indicate magnetic declination. On the majority of the selected nautical charts, most of which were created in Mediterranean and Western European cultural centres, decorative elements such as the fleur-de-lis and the cross were used in compass roses to determine the cardinal points. The compass roses of these nautical charts often served as symbolic evidence of the social and economic belonging of the Adriatic to the European part of the Mediterranean geographical system, as well as to the Christian sphere of tradition and influence. The study has thus proved the existence of significant symbolic communication capacity of a compass rose, which was not only a utilitarian but also an artistic element.

Ivan Klobučarić was one of the most important Croatian cartographers at the turn of the 17th century. In 1579 he produced a panorama of Rijeka which is kept in the War Archives (Kriegsarchiv) in Vienna. The Styrian Provincial Archives (Steiermärkische Landesarchiv) in Graz houses a map of the Bay of Rijeka with a panorama of the city dated 1586, attributed to Klobučarić. His cartographic legacy created between 1601 and 1605 can be found in the Clobucciarich – Skizzen collection. It comprises 108 sheets. Most are double-sided. Some pages show two or more items, so that the entire collection includes around 500 cartographic depictions. In terms of western Croatia, there are about twenty. This paper provides a list of the contents of Klobučarić’s cartographic depictions relating to the area of Croatia. A sketch of the Kvarner Littoral from Rijeka to Sveti Juraj with the mainland hinterland is described, with a map of parts of Croatia from Rijeka to Omiš with the mainland hinterland. An analysis was conducted of the contents of the parts of the sketch and map showing the Kvarner Littoral, comparing the representation of settlements showed and those omitted, with toponyms on the map and those shown on earlier maps of the Kvarner Littoral. The paper indicates errors in previous works about Klobučarić’s life, work and cartographic activities.

The paper describes previous maps of the Diocese of Poreč and Pula and creation of a new map of the Diocese made and published after many changes and long-time research at the Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb. The data collection of the general geographic content and the sacral content was the first step for the new map visualization of the Diocese. It also describes different problems for special map contents and observed shortcomings on the previous maps, and how they are solved. The research objective was the creation of the new map of the Diocese based on the collected and verified data, showing the exact borders of the Diocese and current borders of the deaneries with current seats. On the new map (Main Map) at a scale of 1:120 000, the parish borders with the seats and names of parishes are depicted for the first time.

This paper shows interdisciplinary insight into economy-driven early modern environmental change, using the example of the privately financed venture of marshland reclamation on Count Borelli’s Vrana Estate. The research goal was to...