Isole Dell’India cioe le Molucche le Filippine e della Sonda Parte de Paesi di nuova scoperta e l’Isole de Ladri nel Mare del Zud.

Rare large scale map of the East Indies with prominently feature northern Australia by Giacomo de Cantelli da Vignola (1643-1695), published by Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi (1627-1691) Rome c.1685.

A superb rococo title cartouche at lower left surrounded by putti and three merman who are supporting the shell-like structure. The title explains that the map shows recent discoveries including ‘Isole de Ladri’ (Island of Thieves) in the south seas. Australia is named ‘Nuova Olanda’ and the northwest has the names Beach, Maleteur and Lucach which were derived from the scribed accounts of Marco Polo’s travels. As well as ‘Paese di Concordia’, meaning ‘Country of Concordia’, which refers to the discoveries made in 1616 by Hartog in the Eendracht. Other Dutch discoveries include those of Cartensz 1623 on Cape York and Abel Tasman 1644 on his second voyage. The Trial Islands, where the English ship the Trial was wrecked in 1621 are shown correctly placed off the northwest coast and New Guinea is shown separated from Papua (Iran Jaya) by a strait, an error that had existed since the 1590s.

From Rossi’s Mercurio Geografico overo guida Geografica in tutte le parti del Mundo, published in Rome.

References: Clancy p.89, ill.6.21, Parry p.149, ill.5.23, Quirino p.112, ill.113, Suarez(A) p212, ill.fig.124, Tooley p.206.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 3409746
State Library NSW: M2 470/1688/1A