Published in Antwerp in 1570, the "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" did something no previous book had done: here was the world in all its component parts, the chance to see out planet as a place of staggering variety and ultimate unity. The world's first-ever atlas was the brain-child of Abraham Ortelius; it reflected the great vitality of the era, the prevailing zest for exploration and discovery and the linked activities of commerce and map-making. It was a work born of collaborative friendships: Ortelius' circle included two key figures of the age - printer Christophe Plantin and geographer Gerard Mercator. and brings vividly to life the Antwerp that produced Ortelius and his momentous work.