1682 Systema Ideale Pyrophylaciorum Subterraneorum by: Kircher
DESCRIPTION
By: Athanasius Kircher
Date: 1682 (Published) Nuremberg
Dimensions: 14.5 x 16.25 inches (36.8 x 41.25 cm)
This remarkable map is by one of the most brilliant polymaths of the European Renaissance, Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher.
When Kircher was born in 1601, less than a century had passed since Martin Luther had posted his 9 theses on the doors of the Wittenberg Cathedral protesting the Catholic tradition of selling indulgences (reprieves from penance), giving rise to the militant and brutal expression of religious beliefs which would result in the Protestant Reformation, which lasted more than a century. Thus Kircher was born in the midst of the violence of this tumultuous period, a great religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval which wracked Europe for more than a century.
Education
Born in what is now the state of Thuringia in Germany, by the age of thirteen Kircher had already begun training as a Jesuit, perhaps attracted by their increasing tendency to view and explain the world from a scientific and mathematical perspective. Affiliation with them became increasingly dangerous as it was this very trend which made the Jesuits targets when religious tensions escalated, resulting in the Thirty Years War ( 1618-1648).
Kircher’s scientific curiosity led to study and research in myriad disciplines including language and linguistics, physics, mathematics, geography, astronomy, medicine and music. He is sometimes referred to as the ‘Last Renaissance Man’, and/or ‘the last man who knew everything’, as he was so well-educated in each of these fields. Among his most important contributions was his lifelong, passionate determination to disseminate the knowledge he gained in these disciplines.
His elevated level of education made him a leading member of European literati of his time. These were similarly educated academics, scholars and scientists who could provide information on limitless topics to him, but to the extent possible he preferred gathering information himself. Rather than simply sitting and writing based on information provided by others about these disciplines, events, phenomena, etc., he actively researched all topics and events in those areas which were of especial interest to him. A good example is that of his having himself lowered into the crater of Vesuvius in order to observe its structure and physical appearance following a recent eruption. This particular map is said to be one result of that daring exploit.
Systema Ideale Pyrophylaciorum Subterraneorum
The map was first published in 1665 in Kircher’s monumental encyclopedic oeuvre, Mundus subterraneus. Our example of this iconic map was published posthumously in Nuremberg in 1682. A number of the geologic theories it presents are remarkably accurate, and represent the culmination of Kircher’s observations and studies of the eruption of Vesuvius in 1637 and earthquakes in Calabria in 1638. He was correct in theorizing a super-heated core at the center of the Earth and that earthquakes were caused by movement of the Earth's plates, otherwise known as the study of plate tectonics.
A true renaissance man, Kircher's maps of the inner-workings of the planet are one of a kind, well ahead of their time. His interest in subterranean activity and structures led him to publish a number of maps and engravings featuring his hypotheses regarding those aspects of the physical world, all of which are instantly recognizable among collectors.
Condition: Map is in A condition with exceptional hand coloring and full margins on all sides.
Inventory #11660
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622
CONDITION
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622