Florjančič’s Map on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register

The famous Florjančič map from the mid-18th century has been included, as of last week, on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. This is an international programme established in 1992 with the aim of preserving, protecting, and promoting access to the documentary heritage of humanity.

The monumental map of Carniola, published in 1744 by the cartographer Janez Dizma Florjančič, is remarkable not only for its precision but also for its splendid decorations, which place it among the finest examples of 18th-century graphic art. Museums, libraries, and private collectors hold individual copies, among them the Geographical Museum, which is part of the Anton Melik Geographical Institute of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU).

According to Dr Primož Gašperič, head of the Geographical Museum, Florjančič’s map is "the most accurate and most complete map of Carniola of its time, distinguished by numerous unique features: the first mention of Slovenia's highest mountain, Triglav, the first civilian plan of the city of Ljubljana, an exceptionally precise scale of 1:100,000 for that period, more than 2,700 local place names, and more."

The certificate confirming the successful inscription of this exceptional cartographic work on the UNESCO register was received by the Geographical Museum on Thursday, 23 October 2025. "After years of effort, we have succeeded in convincing both the domestic and international professional community that we are the custodians, keepers, and researchers of a national treasure. At the Geographical Museum, we hold several copies of this work, among the most beautiful being the coloured edition of individual sheets in bound form," Gašperič added.

The Geographical Museum, whose primary mission is to collect, preserve, and curate cartographic, pictorial, and archival geographical materials, as well as to organise exhibitions, is open by appointment.