Universi Orbis Descriptio ad Usum Navigantium

A rare first edition from 1596, with Latin text on the verso.

This nautical world map is a reduced version of Gerard Mercator’s large 1569 wall map, created by Giovanni Magini for his edition of Ptolemy’s *Geographia* (1596). It is among the first maps, other than those by Mercator himself, to employ his famous cylindrical projection.

Incorporating a feature from its illustrious source, Magini’s small map is elegantly embellished with rhumb lines (or loxodromes). While not practical for navigation on a map of such small scale, they convey the concept of "navigability" to the viewer, reflecting a world in which circumnavigation had become a reality.

Magini’s depiction of the American continent, largely unexplored by Europeans at the time, is highly speculative. The east coast bulges eastward, a result of inaccurate measurements of longitude and magnetic declination. No rivers appear along the Gulf coast. The St. Lawrence River is recognizable, while a river flowing into the Gulf of California roughly corresponds to the Colorado. Mexico City is marked. The mythical kingdom of Norumbega is indicated along the Atlantic coast. The Pacific Northwest is depicted almost entirely conjecturally, featuring the apocryphal kingdoms of Anian (derived from Marco Polo), Quivira (a golden kingdom associated with Coronado’s expedition), and Tolm (also derived from Marco Polo).

Although the map predates the official discovery of Australia in 1606, a large promontory extending northward from *Terra Australis* bears a striking resemblance to the western coast of the southern continent. The lands of Maletur and Lucach, also mentioned by Marco Polo, are marked along the coast.

 Magini’s *Geographiae universae tum veteris tum novae absolutissimum opus voluminibus distinctum*, featuring 63 finely engraved copperplates by Girolamo Porro, was printed in Venice in 1596 with a Latin text. The work combines classical texts on ancient geography with an extensive set of engraved maps updated to reflect 16th-century knowledge. This *Geographia* marks a transitional moment between the Ptolemaic tradition and modern cartography and is considered today one of the most significant geographical works of the Renaissance. In 1597, it was copied by Petrus Keschedt, a publisher from Cologne; while the maps in the two editions appear nearly identical, closer examination reveals numerous differences. It was subsequently reprinted in Venice with an Italian translation by Lorenzo Cernoti under the title *Geografia cioè descrittione universale della Terra* (1598); in this edition, the maps engraved by Porro are integrated directly into the text pages. Finally, a posthumous reprint of the Italian translation was produced in Padua by the Galignani brothers in 1621.

Girolamo Porro (1520–1604) was a Venetian engraver, humanist, illustrator, cartographer, and publisher. Born in Padua, he spent most of his life in Venice. He collaborated with numerous prominent Venetian humanists, including Camillo Camilli, Scipione Barbuo, Porcacchi, Ruscelli, and Ariosto. Although his cartographic output was limited, it included works of great importance, such as the maps for Porcacchi’s *Isole più famose del mondo* (1572).

Etching and engraving; Latin text on the verso; in excellent condition.

Bibliografia

R. Shirley, The Mapping of the World, n. 196; F. Fatichenti, Specificità, fortuna e auctoritas del canone tolemaico, in Bifolco/Ronca “Cartografia e topografia italiana del XVI secolo”, pp. 65-72.