Petri Apiani - Cosmographia - 1574

Before Copernicus, before Galileo: Cosmography at the origins of modern science
This 1574 Anversese edition of Pierre Apian's Cosmographia, revised, corrected, and expanded by Gemma Frisius, is one of the cornerstone works in the development of modern science. Even before the theoretical break introduced by heliocentrism and telescopic astronomy, this book teaches how to measure the world: the Earth, the sky, distances, and coordinates. It is here that the mathematical and geometric language is formed, without which the Copernican revolution and Galileo's work would have been unthinkable.
The Cosmographia does not propose a new cosmology but provides the conceptual and operational tools that will make its surpassing possible.
Market value
Complete and good condition copies of this 1574 edition are rare on the market. Valuations vary significantly depending on the completeness of the volvelles and the presence of the folded geographical map. Complete and well-preserved copies can reach values between 18,000 and 30,000 euros.

Physical description and condition
Binding in reused parchment. Title page with woodcut vignette; about 110 wood engravings in the text, including vignettes, historiated initials, tables, and volvelles, four of which are on a movable system; a world map on double pages, reproduced on antique paper. Generally clean copy, with some old handwritten marginal notes, stains, and tears. Complete volume with all maps, but with three volvelles redone on antique paper. Old books, with a multi-century history, may contain some imperfections, not always noted in the description. Collation: (4), 64, 3 leaves, for a total of 135 pages.

Full title and author
Cosmographia of Petrus Apianus, corrected of all errors, expanded and illuminated by Gemma Frisium, a medical and mathematical expert from Leuven.
Antwerp, published by Ioannem Bellerum, 1574.
Author: Pierre Apian. Curator and commentator: Gemma Frisius.

Context and Significance
The Cosmographia represents one of the pillars of the transition from medieval descriptive cosmography to the mathematical science of the physical world. The work does not challenge the Ptolemaic system but rather reinforces its quantitative structure, providing rigorous methods for determining coordinates, measuring terrestrial and celestial distances, and geometrically representing space.
It is precisely this setting that creates the scientific groundwork upon which Niccolò Copernico's heliocentrism will be built, inheriting from the cosmographic tradition of Apian and Frisius the primacy of calculation and the mathematical structure of the cosmos. Similarly, the work prepares the conceptual world in which Galileo Galilei will operate: a universe now conceived as measurable, quantifiable, and translatable into numbers and proportions. In this sense, the Cosmographia is not a 'pre-' book of the scientific revolution, but one of its essential prerequisites.

Biography of the Author
Pierre Apian (1495–1552) was a German astronomer and mathematician, a professor at the University of Ingolstadt. His work is distinguished by his ability to translate complex astronomical concepts into practical and educational tools, making cosmography an applied and accessible discipline.
Gemma Frisius (1508–1555), Flemish doctor, mathematician, and cartographer, taught at Leuven and played a decisive role in the development of scientific cartography and geographic measurement methods. He was a mentor to Mercator and a central figure in the dissemination of applied mathematics in the 16th century.

Printing history and circulation
The first edition of Cosmographia appeared in 1524 and experienced extraordinary editorial success, with numerous reprints and reworkings throughout the 16th century. The 1574 edition from Antwerp, printed by Joannes Bellerus, testifies to the vitality of the scientific tradition in the Southern Netherlands and the ongoing European demand for rigorous and up-to-date texts on cosmography, intended for scholars, navigators, and mathematicians.

Biography of the Author
Pierre Apian (1495–1552), a German astronomer and mathematician, was among the first to combine scientific rigor and didactic clarity in cosmographical dissemination. A professor in Ingolstadt, he distinguished himself through his studies on practical astronomy, cartography, and geographical measurement, leaving a lasting mark on the scientific culture of the 16th century.
Gemma Frisius (1508–1555), a Flemish doctor, mathematician, and cartographer, was one of the brightest minds of his time. He taught at Leuven and made decisive contributions to the development of cartographic triangulation and the dissemination of new applied mathematical sciences.

Printing history and circulation
The first edition of Cosmographia appeared in 1524 and is considered the first printed book with integrated movable systems. The work achieved extraordinary success, with dozens of editions throughout the 16th century, published in various European cities. The 1574 edition from Antwerp, printed by Joannes Bellerus, reflects the high typographic quality of the Southern Netherlands and the ongoing demand for updated and practical scientific texts.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Adams, H.M., Catalogue of Books Printed on the Continent of Europe, 1501–1600, Cambridge, A-974.
Apianus, Petrus, Cosmographic Book, Landshut, 1524 (first edition).
Bosse, A., The books with movable figures of the 16th century, Paris, 1970.
Dekker, E., Illustrating the Ptolemaic Universe: Volvelles and Cosmography in the Sixteenth Century, in Imago Mundi, vol. 59.
Houzeau, J.-C. – Lancaster, A., General Bibliography of Astronomy, Brussels, 1887–1889, no. 1543.
Koeman, C., Atlantes Neerlandici, Amsterdam, vol. I.
Karrow, R., Mapmakers of the Sixteenth Century and Their Maps, Chicago, 1993.
Lindberg, D.C., The Beginnings of Western Science, Chicago, chapter on Renaissance cosmography.
McLean, M., The Cosmographia of Apianus and Frisius: A Study in Early Scientific Publishing, London, 2007.
Sabin, J., A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, New York, vol. I, n. 1730.
Shirley, R., The Mapping of the World: Early Printed World Maps 1472–1700, London, 1983.
Snyder, J.P., Flattening the Earth: Two Thousand Years of Map Projections, Chicago, on Gemma Frisius.
Thorndike, L., History of Magic and Experimental Science, vol. V, New York, 1941.
Van Ortroy, F., Bibliography of Gemma Frisius, Brussels, 1898.
Voelkel, J.R., Johannes Kepler and the New Astronomy, Oxford, for the scientific and instrumental context.
Zinner, E., History and Bibliography of Astronomical Literature in Germany, Munich, 1941.