Alberto Cantino, an Italian spy, acquired a Portuguese map showing stunning finds in the New World. This story appears in the March/April 2017 issue of National Geographic History magazine.

With fears of another World War continuing to escalate, many in the world are wondering where they may be able to find a safe ...

I was lucky enough to be born in a time where I’ve never had to use physical maps to get places. And while I do find paper ...

What to do? He decided that a magnificent gift—a lavish map of the world—might maneuver him into the new king’s good graces. D’Annebault hired Pierre Desceliers, one of the best ...