Ptolemaic documents start with Italy maps linked to Greek codes of Geographia, already circulating long before that the Latin translation was completed by Jacopo d’Angelo della Scarperia (1409).
If we must give notice for their antiquity to the traditional old boards that derives from Latin editions and that are still present in the first printed editions, of even greater significance have the so-called new boards in their different revisions.
The old boards give a completely incorrect and shapeless image of Italy and of Adriatic Sea, both from an astronomical point of view and for the figure, as well as for reliefs, hydrography, position and classification of human settlements.
Our peninsula, that is determinant to give shape to the Adriatic Sea, appears badly expanded because the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy adjusted the drawing to some imperfect elements of longitude; according to them Mediterranean Sea was longer than almost a third.
Italy wants to fit to this frame and shows a characteristic torsion which causes an extension in a North-South direction (instead of North-West to South-East) to the Southern part, starting from Gulf of Naples; the two smaller peninsulae (Salentine and Calabrian) have the same direction, and the interposed Gulf of Taranto is extremely narrow from West to East; the width of Calabrian peninsula is exaggerated in the north part of isthmus of Catanzaro.
A short examination of some coordinates is enough to understand the most relevant deformation.Besides, it is possible to notice that, regarding the latitudes, except for the Apulian territory, mistakes overcome just ⅓ degree (Potenza) and it reaches ½ degree for Taranto, and a bit more for Iapigio Cape and Otranto.
The latitude given to these places by Ptolemy is too low: for this reason the Gargano is placed on Neaples’ parallel and Otranto is farther south than Cosenza. Even worse is the result about longitudes: for them the mistakes, never less than one degree, rise up to maximum 4 degrees, increasing from north to south.
Consequently, the Adriatic Sea takes a triangular shape in the North skipping almost completely the Istrian peninsula  as well as the long extension of the coastal strips that are part of the near lagoon environment. Few islands are represented in the intricate embroidery of the oriental part and the Friulian area is left white for the most. These characteristics are present, despite some variations in drawing and content, in the following Latin codes and in all the so-called old tables of the first printed editions that will begin to appear at the end of XV century because they are based on the same astronomical elements.
Therefore, the faults in the representation of Italy based on Ptolemy’s data must soon and inevitably appear even to the academics of the end of 1400s, for this reason the necessity to integrate the old images with new maps able to better reflect the shapes was immediately perceived, the only way was to realize new boards.
These boards will be much more correct in representing the figure and the borders, because they come from nautical maps and they will be enriched with new elements for the inner regions.

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