▁eng ra vers , ▁and ▁artists . ▁But ▁Le u ven ▁was ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁learning ▁and ▁the ▁meeting ▁place ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁and ▁students ▁at ▁the ▁university . ▁Mathemat ics , ▁glob em aking , ▁and ▁instrument making ▁were ▁pract iced ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Le u ven ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁six teenth ▁century . ▁The ▁university ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁in ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries ▁and ▁the ▁oldest ▁center ▁of ▁both ▁scientific ▁and ▁practical ▁cart ography . ▁Without ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁several ▁out standing ▁sch ol ars ▁of ▁the ▁Le u ven ▁University ▁( such ▁as ▁Gem ma ▁F ris ius , ▁Ger ard us ▁Mer c ator , ▁and ▁Jacob ▁van ▁De vent er ), ▁cart ography ▁in ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁att ained ▁the ▁quality ▁and ▁ex ert ed ▁the ▁influence ▁that ▁it ▁did . ▁ ▁Notable ▁represent atives ▁of ▁the ▁Nether land ish ▁school ▁of ▁cart ography ▁and ▁ge ography ▁( 1 5 0 0 s – 1 6 0 0 s ) ▁include : ▁Francis cus ▁Mon ach us , ▁Gem ma ▁F ris ius , ▁G asp ard ▁van ▁der ▁Hey den , ▁Ger ard ▁Mer c ator , ▁Abraham ▁Ort el ius , ▁Christ ophe ▁Pl antin , ▁Lucas ▁W agh ena er , ▁Jacob ▁van ▁De vent er , ▁Wille br ord ▁S nell , ▁H essel ▁Ger rit sz , ▁Pet rus ▁Plan cius , ▁J od ocus ▁H ond ius ,