Citta di Venetia Descritta dal P. Coronelli Cosmografo Della Serenissima Republica

Reference: S41356
Author Vincenzo CORONELLI
Year: 1693 ca.
Zone: Venice
Printed: Venice
Measures: 815 x 500 mm
Not Available

Reference: S41356
Author Vincenzo CORONELLI
Year: 1693 ca.
Zone: Venice
Printed: Venice
Measures: 815 x 500 mm
Not Available

Description

Large and decorative perspective plan of the city of Venice.

On the left we find the title: Città di Venetia descritta dal P. Coronelli Cosmografo della Serenissima Republica. Top right: Dedicata All'Illustrissimo Signo Abbate Abbondio Rezzonico Patrizio Veneto 1693.

The map, decorated by a twisted ribbon cartouche that frames it and in which are represented the coats of arms of the cities of the Venetian Republic, is taken from the perspective plan of the Merian of 1635, updated with the addition of the Basilica della Salute. Anonymously drawn (the attribution of the drawing to Coronelli is to be considered uncertain), it was published by P. V. Coronelli in his Corso Geografico Universale and later included in the Isolario. (cf. Romanelli-Biadene, p. 56).

The second state of this map does not include the dedication to Abbot Rezzonico.

Etching with enraving, printed on contemporary laid paper, trimmed to the platemark or with narrow margins.

The map is taken from Isolario dell’Atlante Veneto del P. Coronelli, In Venetia MDCXCVI.

Coronelli lived a period of extraordinary editorial fecundity starting from 1689, when he had the chair of geography at the University at the Procuratie, with the publication, in 1690, of the first volume of the Atlante Veneto. Under the name of Atlante Veneto goes the entire collection of thirteen works composed over the next decade, from the Isolario to the Specchio del mare.

The Isolario aims, with a baroque and meticulous search for detail, to celebrate the possessions of the Serenissima. Monumental collection of maps and views of islands, represents the last of the "isolarios" conceived, which, between the end of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth century, were gradually supplanted by modern atlases, printed works characterized by increasing scientific precision and less and less artistic value. In the wake of the new colonial conquests, cartographic representations came to assume an increasingly technical character, until then rather arbitrary.

Descriptive text on verso. The plant was laid down on antique canvas - support removed. On the reverse side there are numerous abrasions with partial loss of the descriptive text; moreover, traces of glue are visible. Other restorations perfectly performed on the front, overall in good condition.

"Commonly considered one of the most beautiful, it is certainly the best known and appreciated plant of Venice" (see Moretto, n. 114).

Literature

Schulz (1970) n.74.; Cassini (1971) n 52; Romanelli-Biadene (1982) n 52; Moretto, n. 114.

Vincenzo CORONELLI (Venezia 1650 - 1718)

Cosmographer, geographer, biographer, encyclopedist, globe maker, inventor, expert of engeneering and hydraulics. Extraordinarily versatile mind and an extremely tireless man, he produced more than 140 pieces in different genres. At the age of 15, he entered the Franciscan Order, which he then guided as Gran Generale from 1699. He became famous as geographer and mathematician, awakening the interest in these subjects in Italy at the end of the XVII century. He travelled a lot, seeking for all that was new, and keeping a correspondance with the most important intellectuals of his time. In 1681 Louis XIV wanted him to go to France, to entrust him with the task of making two terraqueous globes (Marly Globes), with a diameter of 4 metres. Once he came back to Italy, in 1685, he became Cosmographer of the Venetian Republic, where he taught geography and founded the first geographic accademy, called The Argonauts Accademy. In his whole life he produced more that 500 maps; some of them can be found in his most famous works, such as the Venetian Atlas (1690), the Island Book of the Venetian Atlas (1696-97), the Book of Globes (1693). As far as his scientific method, he didn’t elaborate new cartographic systems, but followed the theories that were considered most popular and effective at his time, based on the Copernican system. The main characteristic of his charts is the high quantity of toponymic and historical information. In his most famous and dense work, the Venetian Atlas, we can find about 1100 plates, 200 of which are extremely technical and this is the reason why it is considered the first Italian atlas to describe and illustrate the whole world with charts and maps. It was published in 13 volumes, starting from 1690, and it took nearly ten years to finish it. It is divided in different parts, the most important are the Atlas itself, then the Island Book, the Corso Geografico and the Teatro delle città.

Literature

Schulz (1970) n.74.; Cassini (1971) n 52; Romanelli-Biadene (1982) n 52; Moretto, n. 114.

Vincenzo CORONELLI (Venezia 1650 - 1718)

Cosmographer, geographer, biographer, encyclopedist, globe maker, inventor, expert of engeneering and hydraulics. Extraordinarily versatile mind and an extremely tireless man, he produced more than 140 pieces in different genres. At the age of 15, he entered the Franciscan Order, which he then guided as Gran Generale from 1699. He became famous as geographer and mathematician, awakening the interest in these subjects in Italy at the end of the XVII century. He travelled a lot, seeking for all that was new, and keeping a correspondance with the most important intellectuals of his time. In 1681 Louis XIV wanted him to go to France, to entrust him with the task of making two terraqueous globes (Marly Globes), with a diameter of 4 metres. Once he came back to Italy, in 1685, he became Cosmographer of the Venetian Republic, where he taught geography and founded the first geographic accademy, called The Argonauts Accademy. In his whole life he produced more that 500 maps; some of them can be found in his most famous works, such as the Venetian Atlas (1690), the Island Book of the Venetian Atlas (1696-97), the Book of Globes (1693). As far as his scientific method, he didn’t elaborate new cartographic systems, but followed the theories that were considered most popular and effective at his time, based on the Copernican system. The main characteristic of his charts is the high quantity of toponymic and historical information. In his most famous and dense work, the Venetian Atlas, we can find about 1100 plates, 200 of which are extremely technical and this is the reason why it is considered the first Italian atlas to describe and illustrate the whole world with charts and maps. It was published in 13 volumes, starting from 1690, and it took nearly ten years to finish it. It is divided in different parts, the most important are the Atlas itself, then the Island Book, the Corso Geografico and the Teatro delle città.