Cipro

Rare map of the island by Francesco Piacenza, published in the L’Egeo Redivivo o’sia Chrorographia dell’Arcipelago, e dello stato primiero, & attuale di quell’isole, regni, città, populationi, dominii, costumi, sito & imprese, con la breve descrittione particolare sì del suo ambito littorale, che della Grecia, Morea, o’Peloponnese, di Candia, e Cipri, printed in Modena by Soliani Heirs, 1688.

The work, a kind of "Isolario" in the 16th century Venetian tradition, includes a very thorough and systematic description of the islands of the Aegean, Crete, Cyprus and the Peloponnese. The descriptions of each island are very detailed regarding the terrain, location of towns and villages, churches and monasteries. They mention the presence of ancient ruins and provide information about medieval history. Lesser-known islands are particularly well treated.

Francesco Piacenza Napolitano, [born in Naples in 1637 and died in Modena in 1687], was a doctor of civil and canon law and professor of geography; he was also secretary to His Catholic Majesty's ambassador to Germany for 8 years, then to Bologna as secretary to Bishop Cardinal Guzman. He became a member of the "Accademia degli Immobili Dissonanti" and attended the newly founded University of Modena where he took the Natural Sciences course that included, for the first time, the study of chemistry. He was commissioned by the Duke of Modena Francesco II de Este to travel to the Aegean and make a description and map of it; unfortunately, he died before the publication of "L'Egeo redivivo" in 1688.

“A small type of map of the island appears in the Italian book: L'Egeo Redivivo, O' Sia Chorographia Dell' Arcipelago ..., che della Grecia, Morea, O' Peloponnese, Di Candia, E Cipri, Con le sue Piante in Rame al più viuo incise, Fatiche, E Diligenze Di Francesco Piacenza Napolitano ... In Modona 1688.

The last 30 pages of the book are devoted to the island of Cyprus (pp. 636-666): "Cipro, Se bene siasi di già coll' Isola antecedente di Rhodi terminata finalmente del tutto la narratiua dell'altre più riguardeuoli, e più da Marinari pratticate dell'Arcipelago con gloria del Christianesimo, à questo Regno i suoi antichi, e legitimi Signori.

Between the pages 636 and 637 is inserted a small map of Cyprus signed: F. Placentia delineauit. Francesco Piacenza, or as he signs, Placentia, professor of geography in Modona, author and draughtsman of his own maps, here presents us with a quaint little map of the island, with its few contents edited from various sources, including his own imagination. He marks S. Ilario (St. Hilarion), south-west of Nicosia. He names four of the medieval districts of the island without delineation: Cerines, Baffo, Limisso, Saline. Cipro is written on the opposite coast of Caramania” (cfr. A. Stylianou, The Hystory of the Cartography of Cyrpus, p. 103).

Etching, printed on contemporary laid paper, with margins, print creases at top, otherwise in very good condition.

Bibliografia

A. Stylianou, The Hystory of the Cartography of Cyrpus, p. 103, n. 134; Maps of Cyprus from the Collection of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation n. 98; Zacharakis n. 1754.