Us history help plz?

Question

Why did gastaldi make the map of the new world and why did he use details?

Answer 1

Giacomo Gastaldi (c.1500-1566) was an Italian astronomer, cartographer and engineer from Villafranca in Piedmont. Little is known of him until he arrived in Venice and was granted a privilege by the Venetian senate in 1539 for the printing of a perpetual calendar.

Gastaldi’s position in Venice placed him at the centre of an important world-trading centre at this time. The Republic would have been host to many travellers, providing and stimulating Gastaldi with up-to-date reports of their discoveries and findings. While in Venice, Gastaldi met Giovanni Battista Ramusio who was working on his “Navigationi et Viaggi” and was also secretary to the senate, thus beginning their association. Venice was a focal point of Italian cartographic activity in this period, with Gastaldi and Ramusio placed at its epicentre.

http://www.jpmaps.co.uk/cartographers/in...

I think the key word here is "trade." During the Age of Discovery cartographers were in demand. The better, more detailed a map, the more it was worth to the ones financing the voyages and to the captains of the ships. Someone holding a good map would guard it as if it were gold. It was his key to fame and fortune and he did not want it to be stolen.