Original colour
Sardegna by Sebastian Münster. 1592
Sebastian Münster (1488-1552)
Sebastian Münster, a German geographer, cartographer, Hebraist, and theologian, was born in Ingelheim, near Mainz In 1505, he went to Heidelberg to enter the Franciscan order. In 1507 he went to Louvain, where he studied mathematics, geography, and astronomy. In 1509 Münster became a student of Konrad Pelikan, who taught Hebrew and Greek as well as mathematics and cosmography. In 1518 he completed his studies at the University of Tübingen. He was the favorite of the famous mathematician and astronomer Johann Stöffler.
In 1524 Münster was appointed professor of Hebrew at Heidelberg University. In 1525 he published his first map as part of a broadside: The Instrument of the Suns combined a map, calendar, astrological almanac, sundial, and nocturnal on one attractive sheet, suitable for wall mounting.
In 1540 he published a Latin edition of Ptolemy's Geographia with illustrations. He based this edition on the Latin translation by Willibald Pirkheimer and produced new maps to supplement the Ptolemaic maps. The twenty-seven maps of the Ptolemaic canon are supplemented by twenty-one new maps. Further editions appeared in 1541 and 1542.
In 1544 he published the Cosmographia, a bulky book with 659 pages and some 520 woodcuts. Maps in this edition included three maps from the Ptolemaic canon and fourteen modern maps (from previous editions of the Geographia), as well as nine new maps. Later editions (1545, 1546, 1548) enlarged the Cosmographia. The 1550 edition contains cities, portraits, and costumes. These editions in both Latin and German constitute the full fruition of Münster's dream of a comprehensive geography.
The Cosmographia was one of the most successful works of the 16th century. It passed through 24 editions in 100 years, in different languages, including Latin, French, Italian, English, and even Czech. The last German edition was published in 1628.
He died at Basel of the plague in 1552.
As a cartographer, Münster deserves special recognition for formulating a plan for a comprehensive and uniform map of a country. As a geographer, his greatest achievement was the Cosmographia. (Karrow).
Sardinia Insula.
Item Number: 29467 Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Europe > Italy
Old, antique map of Sardinia by Sebastian Münster.
Title: Sardinia Insula.
Cartographer: Sigismondo Arquer.
Date of the first edition: 1550.
Date of this map: 1592.
Woodcut, printed on paper.
Map size: 255 x 150mm (10.04 x 5.91 inches).
Sheet size: 330 x 210mm (12.99 x 8.27 inches).
Condition: Original coloured, margins stained.
Condition Rating: A.
From: Münster S., Cosmographey Oder Beschreibung Aller Länder Herrschafftens und fürnemesten Stetten des gantzen Erdbodens ... Erstlich durch Herrn Sebastian Munster ... Basel, H. Petri, 1592. (Shirley (Brit.Lib.), Vol.1 p. 754, T.MUN-1m)
Sebastian Münster (1488-1552)
Sebastian Münster, a German geographer, cartographer, Hebraist, and theologian, was born in Ingelheim, near Mainz In 1505, he went to Heidelberg to enter the Franciscan order. In 1507 he went to Louvain, where he studied mathematics, geography, and astronomy. In 1509 Münster became a student of Konrad Pelikan, who taught Hebrew and Greek as well as mathematics and cosmography. In 1518 he completed his studies at the University of Tübingen. He was the favorite of the famous mathematician and astronomer Johann Stöffler.
In 1524 Münster was appointed professor of Hebrew at Heidelberg University. In 1525 he published his first map as part of a broadside: The Instrument of the Suns combined a map, calendar, astrological almanac, sundial, and nocturnal on one attractive sheet, suitable for wall mounting.
In 1540 he published a Latin edition of Ptolemy's Geographia with illustrations. He based this edition on the Latin translation by Willibald Pirkheimer and produced new maps to supplement the Ptolemaic maps. The twenty-seven maps of the Ptolemaic canon are supplemented by twenty-one new maps. Further editions appeared in 1541 and 1542.
In 1544 he published the Cosmographia, a bulky book with 659 pages and some 520 woodcuts. Maps in this edition included three maps from the Ptolemaic canon and fourteen modern maps (from previous editions of the Geographia), as well as nine new maps. Later editions (1545, 1546, 1548) enlarged the Cosmographia. The 1550 edition contains cities, portraits, and costumes. These editions in both Latin and German constitute the full fruition of Münster's dream of a comprehensive geography.
The Cosmographia was one of the most successful works of the 16th century. It passed through 24 editions in 100 years, in different languages, including Latin, French, Italian, English, and even Czech. The last German edition was published in 1628.
He died at Basel of the plague in 1552.
As a cartographer, Münster deserves special recognition for formulating a plan for a comprehensive and uniform map of a country. As a geographer, his greatest achievement was the Cosmographia. (Karrow).
Related items
Insula et Regnum Sardiniae. c. 1741
Sardinia, by George Matthaus Seutter.
[Item number: 1857]
Creta Iovis magni, medio iacet insula ponto. Ex conatibus geographicis Abrahami Ortelij. [On sheet with:] Corsica [and:] Insulae Maris Ionii [and:] Sardinia 1624
Crete, Corsica and Sardinia by Ortelius A.
[Item number: 2052]
Insularum Aliquot Maris Mediterranei Descriptio. 1612
Sicily, Sardinia, Corfu, Djerba, Elba, Malta by Abraham Ortelius
[Item number: 20929]
Descriptio Corsicae Insulae [on sheet with:] Descriptio Sardinae Insulae. 1639
CORSICA - SARDINIA by Mercator G. - Hondius H.
[Item number: 24455]
Corscica [on sheet with:] Sardinia. 1623
Corsica - Sardinia by Mercator Gerard - Hondius Henricus
[Item number: 24914]
Insularum Sardiniae et Corsicae Descriptio. c. 1680
Corsica & Sardinia, by F. De Wit.
[Item number: 25914]
Sardinia Insula. 1640
Sardinia, by Willem & Joan Blaeu
[Item number: 27240]
Sardinia.. 1575
Sardinia., by François de Belleforest.
[Item number: 27284]
Rare
Sardegna. c. 1575
Sardinia (Sardegna) by Giovanni Francesco Camocio
[Item number: 27576]
Le Royaume de Sardaigne. 1776-79
Sardinia, by Paolo Santini.
[Item number: 27734]
Calaris Sardiniae Caput. 1550
Cagliari (Sardinia), by Sebastian Münster.
[Item number: 27985]
Tabula . VII . Euro. 1525
Sardinia & Sicily by Lorenz Fries.
[Item number: 28385]
Isola è Regno di Sardegna. 1696
Sardinia (Sardegna) by Vincenzo Coronelli.
[Item number: 28715]
Creta Iovis magni, medio iacet insula ponto. [On sheet with:] Corsica [and:] Insulae Maris Ionii [and:] Sardinia. 1584
Corsica, Crete (Creta), Sardinia, by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 29148]
Tabula . VII . Euro. 1525
Sardinia & Sicily by Lorenz Fries.
[Item number: 30534]