Historic Wall Map : Italy, Europe, SouthernTabula Europae V 1548 , Vintage Wall Art

Tabula Europae V. (to accompany) Ptolemeo. La geografia di Claudio Ptolemeo alessandrino ... In Venetia, ... per Gioan. Baptista Pedrezano ... Anni x. M.D.XLVIII (1548). | The first pocket atlas and the first edition of Ptolemy's Geographia in Italian, also the first engraved Ptolemy edition since Berlingheri in 1482. Maps engraved on copper by Giacomo Gastaldi, the foremost Italian cartographer of the 16th century, marking a turning point in the history of cartography, mostly based on those of Munster woodcuts in the Latin edition of 1540. Nordenskiold noted that "Copper engraving was reintroduced into the service of cartography" as it was the first atlas in the 16th century to use this process. Maps are accompanied by descriptive text printed on the backs. It is likely the most important atlas published between Waldseemuller's 1513 Ptolemy and Ortelius's Theatrum of 1570. The translation was made by Pietro Andrea Mattioli, the famous botanist. The atlas contains 60 double page copperplate maps, 26 of Ptolemy, supplemented by 34 Modern maps, woodcut title page, illustrated page of "Ptolemeo degli astronomi prencipe ..." and text. Bound in contemporary limp vellum covers with title inked on spine. Most of the Ptolemy and Modern maps showing illustrations of ships, sea monsters, fishes, trees, figures, landmarks and place names. Every where in this atlas are indications of Gastaldi's effort to use the most up-to-date geographical information available. Atlas includes the first engraved maps of part of North America and South America, Tierra Nueva map of the East coast of North America from Florida to Lavrador, is considered the earliest map to focus on the East Coast of North America. Nordenskiold calls it "the very first atlas of the New World". It also has the earliest maps to reflect Verrazano and Cartier's explorations.