Guillem Soler

Who is Guillem Soler?

Guillem Soler, sometimes given as Guillelmus Soleri, Guillermo Soler and Guglielmo Soleri, was a Majorcan cartographer of the 15th century.

Little is known of Guillem Soler. Documents establish his existence in Majorca in 1368, and that he was dead before 1402. Historians once believed him to be an Italian named "Guglielmo Soleri" who worked in Majorca, but has since been more confidently identified as probably of Catalan origin. Majorcan documents identify him as "Guillermi Solerii", citizen of Majorca, master instrument-maker and mapmaker.

Guillem Soler was one of the few non-Jews of the Majorcan cartographic school. A letter of 1387 by King John I of Aragon, written shortly after the death of the great Majorcan cartographer Abraham Cresques, seems to refer to Guillem Soler as a "Christian master" of "similar skill", capable of completing one of Cresques's unfinished maps.

Guillem Soler is the author of two significant portolan charts.

⁕c. 1380 portolan, undated but signed "Guillmus Soleri civis maioricaru me fecit". This is currently held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, France.

⁕1385 portolan, dated and signed "Gujllmo soleij ciujs Maoicaru me fecit Año A nt, dñj Mccclxx.v", held by the Archivio di Stato di Firenze, in Florence, Italy.