Beschrijving:

Antique map of Noord-Holland. A copper-engraving. Tooley, p. 65: "Coronelli, Cosmographer to the Republic of Venice, was the foremost Italian cartographer of his day, whose virtuosity was matched by his prodigious output. Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650-1718) was a Franciscan monk, an Italian cosmographer, publisher and encyclopedist known in particular for his globes. Born in Venice, Coronelli became a Minorite Friar and doctor of Theology at the Collegium San Bonaventura in Rome. In 1678 Coronelli created two globes for the Duke of Parma. These globes had a diameter of c. 175cm and were finely crafted. This drew the attention of the French ambassador, César d’Estrées, who subsequently invited Coronelli to Paris. Coronelli moved to the French capital in 1681, where he lived for two years. Coronelli was commissioned by the cardinal d'Estrées to produce two globes, one of the earth, the other of the heavens, for king Louis XIV. These globes, measuring 384cm in diameter and weighting approximately 2 tons, are displayed in the Bibliothèque nationale François Mitterand in Paris. Due to his good reputation he worked in various European countries in the following years, permanently returning to Venice in 1705. In Venice he started his own cosmographical project and published the volumes of Atlante Veneto. In his home city he founded the very first geographical society, the Accademia Cosmografia degli Argonauti. He also held the position of Cosmographer of the Republic of Venice. Coronelli died at the age of 68 in Venice having created hundreds of maps in his lifetime. Original globes by Coronelli are today located in several collections.