Tavola Nuova di Sardigna et di Sicilia

Venice: Girolamo Ruscelli, 1594. unbound. Map. Uncolored engraving. Image measures 7 1/2" x 10 1/4" This scarce 1564 map of Sicily, Sardinaa, and Malta from Girolamo Ruscelli's "La Geografia di Claudio Tolomeo Alessandrino" is one of the earliest earliest obtainable modern maps of Sicily, Sardinia, and Malta. Based on Giacomo Gastaldi's 1548 map, it depicts detailed topographical and geographical features, including cities, towns, ports, mountain ranges, rivers, and forested areas. Notable elements include an erupting Mount Etna on Sicily and a wild mountain goat in Sardinia. The map's depiction of these regions, including parts of the western coast (truncated) of Italy and numerous smaller islands, showcases remarkable detail for the period. The map is in good condition with minor toning along the centerfold. Girolamo Ruscelli (1500-1566) was an Italian cartographer, humanist, scholar, and polymath from Viterbo. He was educated at the University of Padua and spent his career between Rome, Naples, and later Venice. Ruscelli was a prolific writer and editor, contributing to a wide array of subjects including Italian literature, medicine, alchemy, and military science. He is best known for his revision of Ptolemy's Geographia, published posthumously in 1574. His edition featured newly engraved maps based on those by Giacomo Gastaldi for the 1548 Venice atlas. These maps marked a significant advancement in cartography, reintroducing the use of copper engraving, which allowed for greater detail. Ruscelli's atlas editions, published multiple times between 1561 and 1599, were among the most comprehensive of their time and helped define the known geography of the world for decades. (Inventory #: 322960)