Nova Descriptione de la Moscovia per l’ecce.te M. Giacomo gastaldo piemontese Cosmografo. In Venetia Anno M.D.L XII IIII
| Reference: | S29480 |
| Author | Giacomo GASTALDI |
| Year: | 1602 ca. |
| Zone: | Russia |
| Printed: | Venice |
| Measures: | 365 x 265 mm |
| Reference: | S29480 |
| Author | Giacomo GASTALDI |
| Year: | 1602 ca. |
| Zone: | Russia |
| Printed: | Venice |
| Measures: | 365 x 265 mm |
Description
- THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THE SECOND STATE -
Etching and engraving, 1562, signed and dated in the plate in the cartouche at the center. Excellent work, printed on contemporary laid paper with watermark "crown with 5 points and 6-pointed star" (similar to Woodward 264), with wide margins, in excellent condition.
Exemple unknown to repertoires, in the second state of two, with numerous corrections in the plate, and with the title Il Grande Ducado de Moscovia added at the top, dating back to 1602.
The most important addiction of the plate is at the center of a fortified city that has the name "Smolensco" (Smolenk). The city, located in western European Russia, on the Dnieper River, had a complex military history, with continuous attacks by Poland and Lithuania. To attempt a defense, Boris Godunov made widely fortify the city.
The stone fortifications were built between 1597 and 1602 and were the largest ever built in Russia before then. This edition of the map, therefore, that depicts the fortifications of Smolenk, can be dated to 1602 or so, probably printed by the heir of Ferrando, Andrea Bertelli or by Donato Rascicotti, which detects several sheets of typography by Bertelli.
Very rare map of Russia published by Ferrando Bertelli, and based on that drawed by Gastaldi to illustrate the Venetian edition of the book of Baron Sigismund von Herbenstein Rerum Muscoviticarum Commentaries, published for the first time in Vienna in 1549.
Von Herbenstein was an Austrian diplomat native of Slovenia and was twice ambassador to Moscow in 1517 and in 1526. During the period of his stay in Russia, he was able to gather enough information geographical, historical and costume, which he published in his book, and used in printed map of the region in 1546.
The work is very important because it provides detailed information on the region, hitherto unknown or poorly described. Giacomo Gastaldi, a native of Villafranca in Piedmont but Venetian by adoption, it can be undoubtedly considered as the greatest Italian cartographer of the sixteenth century.
Magnificent example of this rare and important map.
Bibliografia
S. Bifolco, F. Ronca, Cartografia e topografia italiana del XVI secolo, pp. 1208-1209, n. 513 II/II; Meurer (2002): n. 39; Bagrow (1975): p. 69.
Giacomo GASTALDI (1500 circa – 1565 circa)
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Giacomo Gastaldi was born, according to the predicate that accompanies his signature on the card in Spain in 1544, Villafranca Piemonte (today the province of Turin), in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. Although counted among the greatest cartographers of the sixteenth century, the events of his life are unknown until 1539 when his name appears for the first time in a grant of privilege of printing a "perpetual almanac," now lost. In the early '40s, was to be known in learned circles because he began to work on a series of papers, first published separately and then merged, in the Italian edition of Ptolemy's Geography (Venice 1548) updated by S. Münster. The volume consisted of 60 cards, 26 of which were the traditional Ptolemaic and 34 new made by Gastaldi. Soon his fame spread as a cartographer in Italy and Europe: cosmographer became the official of the Venetian Republic. The Council of Ten, on behalf of whom had a frescoed hall of the Ducal Palace with the cards in Asia and Africa, was referring to him as: Master James of Piedmont our Cosmographer. Remains unchallenged as its contribution to the Italian maps: a map of Italy printed in 1561, when for the first time the profile of the coastline is made by referring to charts much more precise than those of previous centuries. He had the great merit of use and disclose in cartography the etching technique, which allowed all'incisore to make drawings more accurate and crisp, allowing easier viewing Almost all of them before cartographers had instead used the technique of woodcut, much less precise. He was awarded one hundred and nine maps, which represented virtually the entire world. Considering it was incorrect for a long time a mere disciple of Ramusio, and to both of you must exit from tolemaismo geography, Gastaldi was rediscovered by geography after the Italian unit. At the end of the nineteenth century p.e. Nordenskjöld placed him at the pinnacle of European maps and fifty years after the sixteenth Almagia still its greatest scholar, he rebuilt a good biography.
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Giacomo GASTALDI (1500 circa – 1565 circa)
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Giacomo Gastaldi was born, according to the predicate that accompanies his signature on the card in Spain in 1544, Villafranca Piemonte (today the province of Turin), in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. Although counted among the greatest cartographers of the sixteenth century, the events of his life are unknown until 1539 when his name appears for the first time in a grant of privilege of printing a "perpetual almanac," now lost. In the early '40s, was to be known in learned circles because he began to work on a series of papers, first published separately and then merged, in the Italian edition of Ptolemy's Geography (Venice 1548) updated by S. Münster. The volume consisted of 60 cards, 26 of which were the traditional Ptolemaic and 34 new made by Gastaldi. Soon his fame spread as a cartographer in Italy and Europe: cosmographer became the official of the Venetian Republic. The Council of Ten, on behalf of whom had a frescoed hall of the Ducal Palace with the cards in Asia and Africa, was referring to him as: Master James of Piedmont our Cosmographer. Remains unchallenged as its contribution to the Italian maps: a map of Italy printed in 1561, when for the first time the profile of the coastline is made by referring to charts much more precise than those of previous centuries. He had the great merit of use and disclose in cartography the etching technique, which allowed all'incisore to make drawings more accurate and crisp, allowing easier viewing Almost all of them before cartographers had instead used the technique of woodcut, much less precise. He was awarded one hundred and nine maps, which represented virtually the entire world. Considering it was incorrect for a long time a mere disciple of Ramusio, and to both of you must exit from tolemaismo geography, Gastaldi was rediscovered by geography after the Italian unit. At the end of the nineteenth century p.e. Nordenskjöld placed him at the pinnacle of European maps and fifty years after the sixteenth Almagia still its greatest scholar, he rebuilt a good biography.
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