1721 Covens and Mortier Map of the Bay of All Saints, Brazil

This is a c. 1721 Covens and Mortier map of All Saints Bay or the Baía de Todo os Santos, and the city of Salvador, the 18th-century economic and political center of Portuguese Brazil.

A Closer Look

The map is derived from the Joan Blaeu map of 1662, with few changes. Coverage embraces the important Baía de Todos os Santos. Salvador, then the capital of Portuguese Brazil appears near the bay's mouth. Forts are identified in the vicinity of Salvador and multiple locations are named around the bay, likely villages with churches. Many of the bay's islands are labeled, including Itaoarica, the Ilha dos Frades, and the Ilha de Maré. An inset map of Salvador occupies the lower left with 18 locations alphabetically identified.

Salvador

Originally called São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, Salvador is today the capital of the modern Brazilian state of Bahia. It was established by the Portuguese in 1549 as the first colonial capital of Brazil. To its strategic location on the northeastern coast, and shelterd deep water port, it became a hub for the export of sugar and import of slaves. As this map was being printed, Salvador was enjoying period of prolonged growth and prosperity and it is during this period that much of his renowned baroque architecture, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was constructed.

Publication History and Census

This map was published by Covens and Mortier c. 1721. We note two cataloged examples of this edition: Bibliothèque nationale de France and Harvard University.