1566 Il Disegno del discoperto della nova Franza, il quale se havuto ultimamente dalla novissima navigatione dè Francesi in quel luogo
By: Paolo Forlani / Bolognini Zaltieri
Date: 1566 (Published) Venice
Dimensions: 11.3 x 16inches (28.7 x 40.6 cm)
This rare early map, the first published map focusing primarily on North America, with only regions of other continents denoted, was initially published by Paolo Forlani in 1565, and released again in 1566 by Bolognini Zaltieri . It is one of the earliest known maps focusing on the continent, and also features the Straits of Anián, believed by early modern cartographers to mark the boundary between North America and Asia.
The map features numerous mountain ranges including the Sierra Nevada, and a number of river systems, including the St. Lawrence. Many regional names are identical to modern ones, such as Canada, or close enough to be easily recognizable, such as La Nova France, and Apalchen, which would become Appalachia. Place names are also in abundance, especially along the East Coast and down to through Central America and into northern South America. California is drawn more accurately here than it would often be in later centuries.
The Straits of Anián, depicted at the approximate location of the Bering Strait, were thought to be linked to a Northwest Passage which would allow access from the Arctic to the Pacific. Their name is thought to have been taken from chapter three, book five of a 1559 edition of the travels of Marco Polo in which is mentioned the Gulf of Kienan (Tonkin), which required two months to navigate, and whose far end approaches a number of countries, including one which he called Ania, The discoveries in Terra Nova by Spanish explorers and their geographic location in relation to the Orient was not understood at this time, contributing significantly to the development and perpetuation of such ideas.
Giacomo Gastaldi, on whose map Farlani based his, was among the first known modern cartographers to formulate the concept of the Straits of Anian. Due in part to Forlani’s clear depiction of the Straits in this map, the theory of their existence persisted well into the eighteenth century.
This is a rare example of a fascinating map which is a landmark in the history of the mapping of America. The present example is the second edition, published by Bolognini Zaltieri. The first edition by Forlani was unknown until the later part of the 20th Century.