1690 Peloponnesus Hodie Moreæ Regnum, Distincté Divisum in Omnes Suas Provincias, Hodiernas Atque Veteres
DESCRIPTION
An extraordinary map of southern Greece, surrounded by fourteen engraved views of fortified cities and coastal strongholds that played a pivotal role in the Venetian conquest of the Peloponnese.
Published in Amsterdam by Frederik de Wit around 1690, the map depicts the Peloponnese, historically known as the Morea, together with the neighboring Ionian Islands, including Cephalonia, Zakynthos, Lefkada, and Kythera. Mountains, rivers, roads, settlements, and provincial boundaries are extensively identified throughout the peninsula. The surrounding illustrations include Athens, Corinth, Sparta (Mystras), Patras, Nafplio, Methoni, Koroni, and Lepanto (Nafpaktos), among others.
Venice's Conquest of the Peloponnese
The map commemorates the Morean War (1684–1699), during which Venetian forces under Francesco Morosini launched a successful campaign against Ottoman possessions in Greece. Beginning in 1684, Venetian armies captured a succession of important fortresses, including Koroni in 1685, Methoni and Nafplio in 1686, and the remaining major Ottoman positions across the peninsula by 1687. Venice subsequently established the Kingdom of the Morea, which remained under Venetian administration until the Ottoman reconquest in 1715.
The elaborate title cartouche reinforces the military character of the map. A winged Lion of Saint Mark, the traditional emblem of Venice, holds a raised sword above captured Ottoman soldiers, weapons, and military standards. The imagery celebrates Venetian victories and the Republic's newly established authority over the peninsula.
Fourteen Views of Greek Cities and Fortifications
Among the map's most distinctive features are fourteen detailed illustrations surrounding the central geographical image. These include panoramic views of fortified coastal settlements, harbor defenses, hilltop castles, and plans of strategically important towns. Several depict locations that played a direct role in the Venetian campaigns, providing a useful record of the military architecture and coastal defenses of seventeenth-century Greece.
The engraving was produced on two sheets joined together, with the central map and surrounding illustrations forming a single decorative work. Its combination of historical subject matter, detailed cartography, and elaborate ornamentation makes it one of the more impressive maps of Southern Greece produced during the Dutch Golden Age.
CONDITION
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