cantino

Cantino most often refers to the Cantino Planisphere, an early 16th-century world map created around 1502. It is named after Alberto Cantino, a Portuguese agent who obtained the map in Lisbon and smuggled it to the court of Ercole I d’Este in Ferrara to share the latest Portuguese geographic knowledge. The Cantino Planisphere is now housed in the Biblioteca Estense in Modena, Italy. It is regarded as one of the most important surviving documents from the Age of Discovery, illustrating the extent of Portuguese exploration at the time. The map shows the coasts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well as the western Atlantic and the eastern coast of South America, which is widely interpreted as an early depiction of Brazil. Its details provide valuable insight into early 16th-century cartography and the knowledge exchange between Portugal and Italian courts.

Cantino is also a surname. Of Italian origin, it appears in historical and contemporary records and can be found among individuals in various regions and professions. The name does not denote a single famous figure beyond its association with the Cantino Planisphere, but it is carried by people in diverse contexts.