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1685 Cantelli-Rossi Map of Crete, the Aegean Sea, and Greek Islands
Aegean-cantellirossi-1685$1,200.00
Title
Arcipelago Mar Egeo con le Coste del Medesimo.
1685 (dated) 21.75 x 17.75 in (55.245 x 45.085 cm) 1 : 710000
1685 (dated) 21.75 x 17.75 in (55.245 x 45.085 cm) 1 : 710000
Description
This is the beautiful 1685 Cantelli da Vignola map of the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea. It was issued at the beginning of the 1684-1699 Morean War between Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
As it was, Rossi was getting ahead of himself with his dedication. Although by the time this map was engraved, the Morean war had been active for a year, Venice's successes were yet further west and were just beginning. In 1685, Venice had only begun the reconquest of Morea; it would not be complete until 1687. The Negroponte - at left and center on the map - was not fully conquered by Venice until 1692. Indecisive naval engagements in the Aegean took place in the 1690s, with neither Venice nor the Ottoman Empire being able to field signifiant fleets.
A Closer Look
The map presents the Aegean Sea, from Crete in the south to the Sea of Marmara in the north. Mainland Greece dominates the west, and the coast of Turkey marks the eastern limits. Within these bounds, the islands of the Aegean are presented in exaggerated size - possibly because of the imprecise measurements of the era, but more probably as a deliberate effort towards including legible detail on the islands themselves. Relief along the coastlines is shown pictorially; towns, rivers, mountains, and administrative divisions are marked. A beautiful, shell-motif cartouche is flanked by Neptune to the right and what is probably a Nereid to the left. In the upper right is a splendid dedicatory cartouche in honor of Pietro Filippo Bernini (1640 - 1698), canon of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, an influential patron of the arts.An Optimistic Wartime Map
In the dedication, Rossi hints at the main focus of the map, which he describes as 'the present geographical table of the islands of the archipelago, in which today the Venetian armies gloriously range against the Ottoman power.' The Morean War - Venice's theatre in the Great Turkish War against the Ottoman Empire - had begun. The Pope played a major role in securing Venice's place in that war, so referencing the conflict when dedicating the map to the churchman Bernini would have been relevant.As it was, Rossi was getting ahead of himself with his dedication. Although by the time this map was engraved, the Morean war had been active for a year, Venice's successes were yet further west and were just beginning. In 1685, Venice had only begun the reconquest of Morea; it would not be complete until 1687. The Negroponte - at left and center on the map - was not fully conquered by Venice until 1692. Indecisive naval engagements in the Aegean took place in the 1690s, with neither Venice nor the Ottoman Empire being able to field signifiant fleets.
A Beautiful and Distinctive Engraving
Cantelli's maps, notably their cartouches, were some of the most attractively engraved of the later 17th century. Coronelli's more celebrated though later maps were clearly influenced in their engraving style by Cantelli, or properly speaking, by Cantelli and Rossi's engravers, such as Giorgio Widman and (as here) Vincenzo Mariotti.Publication History and Census
This map is scarce. It was engraved by Vincenzo Mariotti in Rome for inclusion in the Cantelli-Rossi 1688 Mercurio Geografico It appeared in a 1692 edition without change. It has appeared on the market only a handful of times in the past 20 years. We see seven separate examples of this map in OCLC. The Mercurio Geografico is cataloged only at Oxford, Yale, and the Clements.CartographerS
Giacomo Cantelli da Vignola (February 22, 1643 - November 30, 1695) was an important Italian cartographer and engraver active in 17th century Italy. Cantelli was born in Montorsello, near Vignola Italy to a prominent local family. After studying literature at the University of Bologna, Cantelli took a position as secretary to the Marquis Obizzi de Ferrara. Eventually Cantelli relocated to Venice where developed an interest in cartography. He later traveled to Paris in the company of the French ambassador where became acquainted with the French cartographer Guillaume Sanson, as well as his contemporaries Jacques-Andre Duval and Michel-Antoin Baudrand. It was most likely the influence of these innovative French cartographers that inspired Cantelli's careful and meticulous approach, in which he based his cartography not just on earlier maps, but also very much in the French style upon accounts written by travelers and merchants regarding actual travel to foreign lands. Back in Italy, Cantelli took service Count Rinieri Marescotti, with whom he traveled extensively throughout Italy, becoming in the process acquainted with the Italian publisher Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi. It is with Rossi that Cantelli began officially publishing his maps. The earliest maps to bear the Cantelli-Rossi imprint date to 1672 and detail the Holy Land, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire. Around 1680 the duo also began to publish the Mercurio Geografico, a large format atlas illustrating all parts of the world in a splendid Italian baroque detail defined by elaborate finely engraved cartouche work, high quality paper, and bold Roman lettering, and dark rich inks. Some have compared his style go that of Giovanni Antonio Magini, another Italian cartographer of the previous generation. Cantelli da Vignola in fact pioneered the Italian style of fine bold engraving that would eventually be embraced and expanded upon by Vincenzo Coronelli. His work drew the attention of Pope Innocent XI and Reggio Francesco II d'Este, the Duke of Modena, both of whom offered him a position as court geographer. Cantelli chose to work with the Due of Modena, in the service of whom he produced numerous maps and well as two large globes. He died in Modena in November of 1695. More by this mapmaker...
Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi (1627 - 1691) was an Italian engraver and printer, active in Rome during the second half of the 17th century. His father, Giuseppe de Rossi (1570 - 1639), was the founder of the most important and active printing press of the 17th century in Rome. The printing press was begun in 1633, by Giuseppe de Rossi, and it passed firstly to Giovanni Giacomo and to his brother Giandomenico (1619 - 1653), and then later to Lorenzo Filippo (1682-?), then Domenico de Rossi (1659 - 1730). Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi was most active between 1638 and 1691 and was to take the company to the height of its success. The artists that he printed the etchings for included Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609 - 1665), Pietro Testa (1612-1650), and Giovan Francesco Grimaldi (1606 – 1680). Cartographically he is best known for producing the maps of Giacomo Cantelli da Vignola and publishing them in his c. 1683 Mercurio Geografico. In 1738 the firm became the Calcografia Camerale, from 1870 until 1945 the Regia Calcografica, and today it is known as the Calcografia Nazionale. The Calcografia Nazionale holds is one of the finest collections of early printing plates and prints in the world. Learn More...
Vincenzo Mariotti (1650-1734) was an Italian engraver, printmaker and painter active in Rome. He is believed to have been a pupil and collaborator of the Jesuit architect and painter Andrea Pozzo. In the world of maps, Mariotti is primarily known for his work on Giacomo Rossi's 1688 Mercurio Geografico. Learn More...
Source
Cantielli da Vignola, G., Mercurio Geografico, (Rome) 1688.
Condition
Excellent.
References
OCLC 803849350. Rumsey 11438.146. Zacharakis, C. G. A Catalogue of Printed Maps of Greece 1477-1800, 822.