1574 Europae Tabula VIII
By: Girolamo Ruscelli
Date: 1574 (published) Venice
Dimensions: 7.25 x 10.25 inches (18.4 x 26 cm)
This highly desirable Ruscelli map in trapezoid form is from his work La Geografia di Claudio Tolomeo Alessandrino. Based on the work of Ptolemy, it depicts portions of Eastern Europe from just west of the Vistula River in Poland including a portion of Germany.
The map covers a vast territory through the modern day countries of Scandinavia, the Swedish island of Gotland (Gothia Insula), Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine including the Crimea, and Russia. It also includes the Sea of Azov and Sarmatia to the east of it, and the northern shores of the Black Sea, including the legendary kingdom of Colchis of Golden Fleece renown.
The topography is inaccurate in places, with the Ural Mountains positioned to the west of their true geographic location. Two interesting ancient historical altars are depicted, one to Alexander the Great and the other to Julius Caesar. Mountain ranges such as the Carpathians, and river systems are clearly denoted. All the seas are stippled. There is descriptive text in Italian on the verso.
Girolamo Ruscelli (1500-1566) was an Italian cartographer, polymath, humanist, editor, and academic active in Venice during the early 16th century. Ruscelli is best known for his important revision of Ptolemy's Geographia, published posthumously in 1574.
Claudius Ptolemy (85-165 CE), a Roman citizen of Greek descent from Alexandria, was the most influential of Greek astronomers and geographers of his time. He propounded the geocentric theory of the solar system which was to prevail for the next 1400 years.
Condition: This map is in A condition. A superb dark and crisp impression.
Inventory #11800
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