noun
- Plural of portolano; medieval or Renaissance nautical charts or pilot books that showed coastlines, ports, and sailing directions.
Usage: historical; nautical; also called portolan charts
Examples
- The museum's collection includes several rare portolanos from the 14th century.
- Medieval sailors relied on portolanos to navigate the Mediterranean Sea.
- These portolanos provided detailed information about harbors and coastal landmarks.
- The portolanos were hand-drawn and decorated with intricate illustrations.
- Historians study portolanos to understand ancient maritime trade routes.