In your opinion, did the writing of the VM start closer to 1412 or closer to 1440?

[Mark Knowles]

I suspect the map might have been made first and the rest of the work has been assembled around it.

In the context of my theory, I am reluctant to say whether the "map" was produced earlier or later. My theory would indicate that its creation proceeded the Germanically influenced documents such as the astrological drawings. As I suspect that some of the plants in the manuscript are alpine I would guess that the "map" creation proceeds the inclusion of those plants. However it also implies that the "map" was completed after the Germanic documents and alpine plants were included. The idea that the project was begun with the "map" page is attractive, but my hypothesis does not necessarily imply that.