Dulcerti Angelino
Dulcerti (Dulceti) Angelino – a 14th-century Genoese cartographer.
His portolan chart is dated to 1339 and contains a wealth of material regarding the flags of countries across the world. On Dulcerti’s portolan, almost every flag marks a specific country, region, or city. Through these flags, the boundaries of individual countries and the territories conquered or any specific states or cities are clearly outlined.
Two five-cross flags are shown in association with the Georgian state. Near Sebastopolis (i.e., Sokhumi), one five-cross flag is depicted, and on the second half of this flag, there is an additional banner with white and light blue stripes. By this time, King George the Brilliant had already united Western Georgia. However, it is not excluded that this second part of the flag may indicate a certain degree of autonomy within unified Georgia for the western region.
The second five-cross flag is placed above the large fortress that represents the city of Tbilisi. The borders of the Georgian state are delineated through the use of these flags. To the north of these flags are red flags symbolizing the Golden Horde. To the southwest, the red five-cross flags are bordered by the double-headed eagle of the Empire of Trebizond, and to the south – by the flags of the Ilkhanate.
To the west of the vertically drawn Likhi or Caucasus mountain range, to the left and below, the inscription “Georgiania” (Georgia) is written. This inscription refers to the entire territory of Georgia. A third red five-cross flag appears in Asia Minor, above the city of Sebasteia, wedged between the borders of the Empire of Trebizond and the Ilkhanate, and bordering Turkey.
These flags likely reflect the joint military campaign into Asia Minor led by the Mongols and Georgians, specifically by Choban Noyan and King George the Brilliant.
Literature: თ ვ ა რ ა ძ ე ა., საქართველო და კავკასია ევროპულ წყაროებში (XII– XVI საუკუნეთა ისტორიოგრაფიული და კარტოგრაფიული მასალის საფუძველზე), თბ., 2004; მ უ ს ხ ე ლ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი დ. სახელმწიფო დროშა შუა საუკუნეებში, «ლიტერატურული საქართველო », 1998, 13–20 მარტი; Portulane, Seekarten vom 13. bis zum 17. Jahrhundert, hrsg. von Monique de la Ronciere und Michel Mollat du Jourdin, Münch., 1984.
A. Tvaradze
