America

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

A beautiful map of the American continent, based on the work of Giovanni Lorenzo d’Anania, originally printed in Venice in 1582. It was created by Giovanni Antonio Magini for his version of Ptolemy’s *Geographia* (1596).

Geographically, the map largely derives from Abraham Ortelius’s earlier map of America (1570), retaining some of its inaccuracies, notably the outward bulge of South America’s western coast. Mountain ranges appear on the southern continent, serving to fill the space left empty by the omission of the cartouche found in the original. Other geographical differences, such as the depiction of the California peninsula as much broader, are likely attributable to the execution style rather than deliberate cartographic choices. To the left, New Guinea ("NOVA GUINEA") is clearly visible, depicted as disproportionately large and hypothetically connected to *Terra Australis Incognita*. North America features mythical place names associated with the era's exploration, such as the Strait of Anian (the legendary Northwest Passage) and the region of Quivira. The Pacific Ocean is labeled with the historical names *Mar del Zur* and *Mare Pacifico*.

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

P. Burden, The Mapping of North America, n. 93; F. Fatichenti, Specificità, fortuna e auctoritas del canone tolemaico, in Bifolco/Ronca “Cartografia e topografia italiana del XVI secolo”, pp. 65-72.