Sicily, Sardinia, Corfu, Zerbi, Elba, Malta by Abraham Ortelius. 1592
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598)
The maker of the 'first atlas', the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570), was born on 4 April 1527 into an old Antwerp family. He learned Latin and studied Greek and mathematics.
Abraham and his sisters Anne and Elizabeth took up map colouring. He was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke as an "illuminator of maps." Besides colouring maps, Ortelius was a dealer in antiques, coins, maps, and books, with the book and map trade gradually becoming his primary occupation.
Business went well because his means permitted him to start an extensive collection of medals, coins, antiques, and a library of many volumes. In addition, he travelled a lot and visited Italy and France, made contacts everywhere with scholars and editors, and maintained extensive correspondence with them.
In 1564 he published his first map, a large and ambitious world wall map. The inspiration for this map may well have been Gastaldi's large world map. In 1565 he published a map of Egypt and a map of the Holy Land, a large map of Asia followed.
In 1568 the production of individual maps for his atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum was already in full swing. He completed the atlas in 1569, and in May of 1570, the Theatrum was available for sale. It was one of the most expensive books ever published.
This first edition contained seventy maps on fifty-three sheets. Franciscus Hogenberg engraved the maps.
Later editions included Additamenta (additions), resulting in Ortelius' historical atlas, the Parergon, mostly bound together with the atlas. The Parergon can be called a truly original work of Ortelius, who drew the maps based on his research.
The importance of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for geographical knowledge in the last quarter of the sixteenth century is difficult to overemphasize. Nothing was like it until Mercator's atlas appeared twenty-five years later. Demand for the Theatrum was remarkable. Some 24 editions appeared during Ortelius's lifetime and another ten after his death in 1598. Editions were published in Dutch, German, French, Spanish, English, and Italian. The number of map sheets grew from 53 in 1570 to 167 in 1612 in the last edition.
In 1577, engraver Philip Galle and poet-translator Pieter Heyns published the first pocket-sized edition of the Theatrum, the Epitome. The work was trendy. Over thirty editions of this Epitome were published in different languages.
Insularum Aliquot Maris Mediterranei Descriptio.
Item Number: 23053 new Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Europe > Italy
Sicily, Sardinia, Corfu, Zerbi, Elba, Malta by Abraham Ortelius.
Title: Insularum Aliquot Maris Mediterranei Descriptio.
Cum privilegio.
Cartographer: Gastaldi; Licinio; Arquer.
Date of the first edition: 1570.
Date of this map: 1592.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Image size: 360 x 473mm (14.17 x 18.62 inches).
Sheet size: 435 x 540mm (17.13 x 21.26 inches).
Verso: Latin text.
Condition: Original coloured, excellent.
Condition Rating: .
From: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Antwerpen, Plantin Press, 1592. (Van der Krogt 3, 1:041)
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598)
The maker of the 'first atlas', the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570), was born on 4 April 1527 into an old Antwerp family. He learned Latin and studied Greek and mathematics.
Abraham and his sisters Anne and Elizabeth took up map colouring. He was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke as an "illuminator of maps." Besides colouring maps, Ortelius was a dealer in antiques, coins, maps, and books, with the book and map trade gradually becoming his primary occupation.
Business went well because his means permitted him to start an extensive collection of medals, coins, antiques, and a library of many volumes. In addition, he travelled a lot and visited Italy and France, made contacts everywhere with scholars and editors, and maintained extensive correspondence with them.
In 1564 he published his first map, a large and ambitious world wall map. The inspiration for this map may well have been Gastaldi's large world map. In 1565 he published a map of Egypt and a map of the Holy Land, a large map of Asia followed.
In 1568 the production of individual maps for his atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum was already in full swing. He completed the atlas in 1569, and in May of 1570, the Theatrum was available for sale. It was one of the most expensive books ever published.
This first edition contained seventy maps on fifty-three sheets. Franciscus Hogenberg engraved the maps.
Later editions included Additamenta (additions), resulting in Ortelius' historical atlas, the Parergon, mostly bound together with the atlas. The Parergon can be called a truly original work of Ortelius, who drew the maps based on his research.
The importance of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum for geographical knowledge in the last quarter of the sixteenth century is difficult to overemphasize. Nothing was like it until Mercator's atlas appeared twenty-five years later. Demand for the Theatrum was remarkable. Some 24 editions appeared during Ortelius's lifetime and another ten after his death in 1598. Editions were published in Dutch, German, French, Spanish, English, and Italian. The number of map sheets grew from 53 in 1570 to 167 in 1612 in the last edition.
In 1577, engraver Philip Galle and poet-translator Pieter Heyns published the first pocket-sized edition of the Theatrum, the Epitome. The work was trendy. Over thirty editions of this Epitome were published in different languages.
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]
Messana, Urbs est Sicilie maxima, situ, opulentia, & tuta navium statione, ... 1574
Messina by Braun & Hogenberg
[Item number: 5497]
Messina Ville de la Sicile. 1704
Sicily - Messina, by Blaeu - Mortier.
[Item number: 18139]
Messana, Urbs est Sicilie maxima, situ, opulentia, & tuta navium statione, ... 1572-1624
Sicily - Messina, by Braun & Hogenberg
[Item number: 21463]
Messana, Urbs est Sicilie maxima, situ, opulentia, & tuta navium statione, ... 1612
Messina in Sicily, by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg.
[Item number: 22348]
Candia [on sheet with] La Cita de Corphu 1597
Crete (Iraklion) & Corfu, by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg.
[Item number: 23289]
Descriptio Corsicae Insulae [on sheet with:] Descriptio Sardinae Insulae. 1639
CORSICA - SARDINIA by Mercator G. - Hondius H.
[Item number: 24455]
Insula Malta Accuratissime Delineata, Urbibus et Fortalitiis c. 1680
MALTA by Frederik De Wit
[Item number: 24657]
Corscica [on sheet with:] Sardinia. 1623
Corsica - Sardinia by Mercator Gerard - Hondius Henricus
[Item number: 24914]
Calaris [on sheet with] Malta [and] Rhodus [and] Famagusta 1582
Cagliari, Malta, Rhodos and Famagusta, by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg.
[Item number: 25318]
Regni & Insulae Siciliae Tabula Geographica ... c. 1720-65
Sicily, by Homann Heirs.
[Item number: 25478]
Insularum Melitae vulgo Maltae et Gozae Novissima Delineatio. c. 1700
Malta & Gozo, by N. Visscher, published by P. Schenk.
[Item number: 25697]
Isle et Royaume de Sicile. 1665
Sicily, by N. & G. Sanson.
[Item number: 25896]
Insularum Sardiniae et Corsicae Descriptio. c. 1680
Corsica & Sardinia, by F. De Wit.
[Item number: 25914]
In rare original colour.
L'Ile de Sicile. 1713
Sicily, by Pieter Van der Aa.
[Item number: 26077]
new
Siciliae Regnum. 1641
Sicily, by Henricus Hondius.
[Item number: 26427]
La Sicile, Avec les anciens noms de presque toutes ses Places, Rivieres, Chasteaux, &c. 1679
Sicily, by P. Duval.
[Item number: 26485]
Sicilia. 1602
Sicily (Sicilia), by Langenes, published by P. Bertius.
[Item number: 26539]
Very rare!
Regni Siciliae et Insulae Maltae et Gozae Cum Circumjacentibus Insulis. c. 1690
Sicily by Johannes De Ram.
[Item number: 26726]
Calaris [on sheet with] Malta [and] Rhodus [and] Famagusta. 1612
Cagliari - Malta - Rhodos - Famagusta, by Georg Braun & Frans Hogenberg.
[Item number: 26910]
Sardinia Insula. 1640
Sardinia, by Willem & Joan Blaeu
[Item number: 27240]
Sicilia. - Siciliae Insulae atque totius regni eius descriptio, ... 1552
Sicily, by Sebastian Münster.
[Item number: 27267]
Sardinia.. 1575
Sardinia., by François de Belleforest.
[Item number: 27284]
Malta olim Melita insula. 1575
Malta, by François de Belleforest.
[Item number: 27329]
Valletta ou Valete Ville Forte, de l'Isle de Malta. 1704
Valletta by Pieter Mortier.
[Item number: 27504]
Rare
Sardegna. c. 1575
Sardinia (Sardegna) by Giovanni Francesco Camocio
[Item number: 27576]
Carte de L'Isle et Royaume de Sicile. 1776-79
Sicily & Malta, by Paolo Santini.
[Item number: 27732]
Le Royaume de Sardaigne. 1776-79
Sardinia, by Paolo Santini.
[Item number: 27734]
Rare
La Nobile Città di Messina. 1569
Messina by Giulio Ballino
[Item number: 28297]
Tabula . VII . Euro. 1525
Sardinia & Sicily by Lorenz Fries.
[Item number: 28385]
Insularum Melitae vulgo Maltae et Gozae. c. 1680
Malta & Gozo, by Nicolaes Visscher I.
[Item number: 28578]
Regnum Siciliae cum circumjacentibus Regnis et Insulis. c. 1680
Sicily with the isles of Malta and Gozo, by Nicolaes Visscher I.
[Item number: 28607]
Sicilia Regnum. 1650
Sicily (Sicilia), by Willem & Joan Blaeu.
[Item number: 28774]
Isola di Malta olim Melita. 1696
Malta by Vincenzo Coronelli.
[Item number: 28817]
Isola di Corfu. 1696
Island of Corfu, by Vincenzo Coronelli.
[Item number: 29047]
Parergon map
Siciliae Veteris Typus. 1584
Ancient Sicily, by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 29146]
Sicilia - [Above map :] Descrittione dell'Isola di Sicilia. 1590
Sicily (Sicilia) by Thomaso Porcacchi.
[Item number: 29766]
Corfu - [Above map :] Descrittione del l'Isola di Corfu. 1590
Corfu by Thomasso Porcacchi.
[Item number: 29845]
Catana Urbs Siciliae Clarissima Patriae Scte Agathae Virginis et Mart: 1657
Catania with view of the Mount Etna by Georg Braun & Frans Hogenberg, published by J. Janssonius.
[Item number: 31003]
new
Messina. 1657
Sicily - Messina by J. Janssonius.
[Item number: 31004]
new
Candia [on sheet with] La Cita de Corphu. 1657
Crete (Iraklion) & Corfu, by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg, published by J. Janssonius.
[Item number: 31080]
new