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1770 Delisle de Sales Map of Ancient Italy
AncientItaly-sales-1770$100.00
Title
Carte de l'Italie Ancienne.
1770 (undated) 13.5 x 8.5 in (34.29 x 21.59 cm) 1 : 5000000
1770 (undated) 13.5 x 8.5 in (34.29 x 21.59 cm) 1 : 5000000
Description
This is an uncommon 1770 map of Italy during ancient Roman times, by Jean- Baptiste-Claude Delisle de Sales. The map covers all of Italy in the days of the Roman Empire from Cisalpine Gaul to Sicily, including the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Throughout, the map identifies various cities, towns, rivers and an assortment of additional topographical details. During the first centuries of the Imperial Rome, Italia was the territory of the city of Rome rather than a Roman Province. As such Italia enjoyed a special status such that the armies of military commanders were not allowed into the region.
This map was issued as part of Delisle de Sales' Histoire des Hommes. Partie de l'Histoire Moderne. This volume is exceedingly rare as most of Sales' work was burnt under the censorship of heresy.
This map was issued as part of Delisle de Sales' Histoire des Hommes. Partie de l'Histoire Moderne. This volume is exceedingly rare as most of Sales' work was burnt under the censorship of heresy.
Cartographer
Jean-Baptiste-Claude Delisle de Sales or Jean-Baptiste Isoard de Lisle (1741–1816) was a French philosopher, historian, and accused heretic active in the late 18th century. Sales is best known for his publication of the multi-volume opus The Philosophy of Nature: Treatise on Human Moral Nature. The work, among other ideas, challenged the Biblical theory that the earth was created in 4004 BC. Instead, Sales put forth the theory based upon astronomical observations, that the earth was 140,000 years old. Sales' revolutionary ideas caused him to be declared a heretic by the Catholic Church. His publications were subsequently censored and, for the most part, destroyed. As a consequence all of his works are today extremely rare. Sales was also, notably, a close friend of Voltaire who in 1777 visited him in prison, gifting him 500 pounds towards his release. Delisle de Sales is unrelated to the more famous De L'Isle family of cartographers. More by this mapmaker...
Source
Delisle de Sales, Histoire des Hommes. Partie de l'Histoire Moderne, (Paris) 1770.
Condition
Very good. Minor wear along original fold lines. Original platemark visible. Blank on verso.