Coronelli - Epitome Cosmografica - 1693

CELESTIAL Spheres, MOBILE WORLDS, and SECRETS OF THE ARGONAUTS: THE MAGICAL ATLAS OF CORONELLI
FIRST EDITION
The precious two-page tabula with six movable parts (volvelles) is present and perfectly preserved.
Secret relations between the planets and the waters of the globe, scientific knowledge transmuted into initiatory wisdom. Coronelli’s Epitome cosmografica is not merely a treatise: it is a key to penetrate the hidden order of the universe, a grimoire of sacred astronomy and occult geography. This extremely rare 1693 exemplar, born from the legendary public lectures of the “cosmographer of the Serenissima,” guides the reader through armillary spheres, celestial globes, and animated planispheres — instruments conceived not only to measure the world but to reveal its invisible mechanisms. The tabula with six movable parts is a mechanical oracle, an alchemical device for visualizing the motion of the stars and the harmony of the cosmos. Coronelli, initiator and founder of the Academy of the Argonauts, shapes in this work a magical atlas, worthy of solar courts and esoteric libraries of Baroque Europe.
MARKET VALUE
A absolute masterpiece of pre‑Enlightenment cosmography, this work is valued today not only for its scientific importance but for its value as a mystical and symbolic object. A similar exemplar appeared on the market at 7,800 USD. Its state of preservation, the presence of the movable parts, usually missing, further enhance its collectible allure.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
The precious two-page tabula with six movable parts is present and perfectly preserved. Full parchment binding of later reuse. Two title pages, one of them pictorial. Pp. [44], 420 + 31 woodcut plates. Some stains on the last pages, copy in the rough, papers clean and crisp, inks brilliant.
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Vincenzo Maria Coronelli
Epitome cosmografica, o compendiosa introduttione all'astronomia, geografia, & idrografia, per l'uso, dilucidatione, e fabbrica delle sfere, globi, planisferi, astrolabj e Tavole geografiche e particolarmente degli stampati, e spiegati nelle publiche lettioni dal p. maestro Vincenzo Coronelli M.C. cosmografo della Serenissima Republica di Venetia, e lettore di geografia. per l'Accademia degli Argonauti
Colonia, ad istanza di Andrea Poletti, 1693

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
This secret and monumental work is the first systematic attempt to fuse astronomy, geography, and hydrography into an harmonious synthesis capable of reflecting the order of creation. The knowledge Coronelli transmits is not only technical but spiritual: whoever learns to fabricate an astrolabe also learns to read the divine design in the firmament. Each illustrated instrument is a talisman of precision and contemplation, each tabula a portal between the visible world and the invisible. The Epitome anticipates the Enlightenment encyclopedic vision, yet preserves its magical, Pythagorean, Hermetic roots.

"Epitome cosmografica, o compendiosa introduttione all'astronomia, geografia & idrografia" is a work published in 1693, which synthesizes astronomy, geography, and hydrography in a practical way, with the aim of facilitating the use of spheres, globes, and other geographical representation instruments. The work is designed in particular to be used in public lectures and for the construction of these instruments.

The work is structured in three books:
First book: Treats astronomy and the use of the compass.
Second book: Focuses on terrestrial geography and natural phenomena.
Third book: Describes globes, armillary spheres, and astrolabes.
In essence, the "Epitome cosmografica" is a reference work for cosmography, seeking to condense astronomical, geographical, and hydrographic knowledge into a practical, easily consultable volume, useful for teaching and the construction of geographic instruments such as spheres, globes, and astrolabes.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650–1718), a Venetian, was a conventual friar, cosmographer of the Serenissima, tireless traveler and globe‑maker. Master engraver and mathematician, he published foundational treatises on geography, astronomy, and cartography, earning European fame. He is credited with the invention of scientific and educational instruments of extraordinary precision, conceived as spiritual tools for interpreting the harmony of the universe.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed in 1693 in Cologne for Andrea Poletti, the work circulated among cultural and scientific elites, but in extremely limited copies. Rare and incomplete in most surviving copies, it is today housed in a few private and institutional collections. The movable plates and original diagrams give each copy a unique and ritual aura.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
European Americana 693/50
Houzeau & Lancaster 8006
Riccardi I, 374–375
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Fonds Coronelli
Catalogues: Librairie Le Bail, Daniel Crouch Rare Books, Martayan Lan