Buy this book on-line

PORCACCHI, Tomaso : S. Giovanni

105 x 140 mm., on sheet with Italian text, complete with a second leaf of text describing the island. In good condition.

A lovely example of Tomaso Porcacchi's map of the island of Puerto Rico. This is one of the earliest obtainable maps of the island, one of only a handful published in the sixteenth century. The topographical detail although good is a little conceptual. It includes a decorative cartouche, four sea monsters and a compass rose upper left. St.Coix (Croce) in the Virgin Islands is depicted lower right. The map is printed by Simone Galignani and engraved by Girolamo Porro and first appeared in the enlarged second edition of 'L'Isole Piu Famose del Mondo' issued in 1576. The atlas is classed as an ‘Isolario’ a term used to define an atlas of largely island maps. The tradition of the 'Isolario' began in the Mediterranean Sea and the first printed one appeared at the hands of Bartolommeo dalli Sonetti in c.1485. This was followed by the notable works of Benedetto Bordone in 1528 and Porcacchi. Phillips (1909-) 167; Sabin (1868) 64149; Shirley T.Por 1b no. 33.