Geological map of Carniola & Istria

Very rare geological map of Carniola and Istria, prepared by Franz Xaver Baraga for the Oryctographia carniolica oder physikalische Erdbeschreibung des Herzogthums Krain, Istrien, und zum Theil der benachbarten Länder by Balthasar Hacquet, Johann Gottlob Immanuel, printed in Leipzig: bey Johann Gottlob Immanuel Breitkopf, 1778-1789.

"Oryctographia Carniolica" is a four-volume work by Belsazar Hacquet, published in Leipzig in 1778, 1781, 1784 and 1789. It deals with the physical properties of the Duchy of Carniola, Istria and parts of neighboring lands. It also includes an in-depth description of the Idrija mercury mine. The first page of the work presents the first known depiction of Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia. The book contains descriptions of rocks, minerals, fossils, and surface and underground features. Karstism prevails in Carniola, so a lengthy description of karst geology and geomorphology is included. His classification of mountains mentions in particular the Montes secundarii formed from gray limestone.

Carniola (in Slovenian Kranjska, in German Krain) is a historical-geographical region located between eastern Friuli to the west, Carinthia to the north, and Styria, Croatia, and Istria to the east and south, which had as its historical capital the city of Ljubljana.

French-born Balthasar or Belsazar de la Motte Hacquet (c. 1739-1815) was a physician and professor of natural history, a scholar of mineralogy and botany. His works are considered a milestone in the knowledge and initiation of tourism development in the area.

Etching, printed on contemporary laid paper, usual folds, in very good condition.

Bibliografia

cfr. P.N. Wyse Jackson, Four Centuries of Geological Travel, London, The Geological Society, 2007; A. Recnik, Minerals of the Mercury Ore Deposit Idria, Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg 2013.