Searching beyond the horizon at Lichfield Cathedral
A new exhibition at Lichfield Cathedral will enable visitors to see how Europeans viewed the world in the past, with a display of the Cathedral Library’s collection of map-books from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries - a time when European explorers looked beyond the horizon and journeyed to faraway places.
Canon Gregory Platten said, “The maps which European explorers created on their journeys, and the stories which they brought back, enabled those who stayed at home to explore horizons they might never see. Nations and individuals examined their place and role in the world with fresh eyes. At a time when we tend to rely on electronic mapping devices to get us from A to B, these historic maps remind us of how much better we understand the world when we lift up our eyes and look beyond the horizon. They also inspire us with the vision and skill of those who created them so many centuries ago.”
The exhibition will be held in the Chapter House of the Cathedral from 8th January until 27th February, during visitor opening hours.