Tabulae geographicae, quibus universa geographia vetus continetur...

SEMINARIO VESCOVILE, Padua. Tabulae geographicae, quibus universa geographia vetus continetur, multis authoribus collectae… Padua: Ex Typographia Seminarii, 1699

4 parts in one volume, folio (19 x 14 1/2 inches). Letterpress title pages and indexes to each part, in total 84 maps, including a fine double-page engraved map of the world "Orbis Vetus,.", 1694, 4 maps of the continents and 79 maps of the ancient and modern world.
The maps are Italian versions after Guillaume Sanson (1633-1703), Nicholas Sanson (1600-1667), Abraham Ortelius (1527 1598), Pierre Du Val (1619-1683) and Philippe Cluver (1580-1622), all decorated with superb title cartouches and all in fine dark impressions, with large margins and in very fine condition.
Contemporary vellum over paste-board (lower part of the spine with small repair).

 
A particularly attractive copy of this atlas intended to supplement the study of ancient history, literature, and the bible, published by the Seminario Vescovile in Padua.
Part one -  Quae eas Tabulas exhibit, quae cum ad Geograhiam in universum… Philippi Cluverii… - Incorporating the maps to Clüver's Geography. [42 maps]
Part two - In qua eas Tabulas habes, quae ad sacra Biblia tum Veteris, tum novi Testamenti.. - Maps relating to the Holy Land. [11 maps]
Part three – In qua eas exhibemus Tabulas, quae Ecclesiasticos Annales illustrant. Map of ancient patriarchates and bishoprics. [16 maps]
Part four - In qua eas Tabulas adnectimus, quae ad veteres tum Historicos, tum Poetas illustrandos conducunt. Maps of the Roman history. [15 maps]

Seminario Vescovile in Padua.
The seminary and famous library were re-invigorated by the arrival of Cardinal Gregorio Barbarigo (1625 -1697), Bishop of Padua, in 1664. He transferred the seminary to the former monastery of Vanzo, improving it and promoting the study of Latin and Greek; reorganized its curriculum; and in 1684, established beside the seminary a typography for the printing of scholarly and classical works, as well as ecclesiastical ones. The press was equipped with Greek, Arab, Syrian, Armenian and Persian type and printed pamphlets for Christians living in Moslem areas.

References : Phillips 5644.

Including :
Atlantis Insula a Nicolao Sanson Antiquitati Restituta…, Sanson, Guillaume
Unusual map of the Americas, noted in the cartouche as the mythical island of Atlantis. The Great Lakes are shown but are still very misshapen and open-ended in the west. A large lake in the western part of North America is the source of a river which empties into the sea between the continent and the island of California. The map includes both Asian and European coastlines and bits of New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. This is a purely topographical map and the only cities shown are Mexico City and Cuzco, depicting the capitals of the New World. The large cartouche is surrounded by Neptune and his ten sons. Second edition of the first state, published by Covens and Mortier.
References: McLaughlin #46; Tooley p. 124, #51.

Erythraei sive Rubri Maris periplus olim ab Arriano descriptus / nunc vero ab Abrah. Ortelio ex eodem delineatus
Important and unusual and attractive 1699 map of the Indian Ocean, or Erythraean Sea, as it was in antiquity. After a similar 1597 map published by A. Ortelius in his Parergon.
Covers from Egypt and the Nile valley eastward past Arabia and India, to Southeast Asia and Java.
Cartographically, India, Arabia, and Africa roughly correspond to the conventions of the period. Southeast Asia is less recognizable, but the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Java are clearly noted. Most of the place names used throughout are derived from Ptolemy, who himself based his description of the region heavily on records from Alexander the Great's conquests. Two smaller maps in the upper left and right quadrants are of exceptional interest.
The upper left chart shows northwestern Africa and is titled 'Annonis Periplus.' This is a reference to the legendary expeditions of the Carthaginian King Hanno, said to have been the first to access the Indian Ocean by sailing around the southern tip of Africa.
Incidentally, en route, he is also said to have been the first to tame a lion.

The upper right chart shows the northern polar regions as they were perceived at the time. A landmass covering the polar ice cap is indentified as 'Hyperborea.'
To the left of this, roughly where North America rests today, the island of Atlantis appears; while Scythia, Europe (Thule) and Asia are on the right. Greenland and possibly Iceland appear at the bottom.
This map is intended to point out the possibility of a Northeast Passage to Asia, which was at the time being actively sought after by Dutch, English, and Russian navigators.

Abraham Ortelius and historical cartography.
Koeman mentioned about the Parergon of Ortelius: This atlas of ancient geography must be regarded as a personal work of Ortelius. For this work he did not, as in the 'Theatrum', copy other people's maps but drew the originals himself.
The Pareregon was thus a project of personal interest and the work that Ortelius himself considered his greatest achievement. There was a wide-spread interest in classical geography in the 16th century. Also Ortelius had a deep curiosity about classical antiquity which spurred him to create the Parergon maps.
The maps in the Parergon have to be evaluated as the most important work depicting the wide-spread interest in classical geography in the 16th century.