Italy - Southern mainland portion of the Kingdom of Naples: Southern Italy; Gérard Mercator - Puglia piana, terra di Barri, terra di Otranto, Calabria et Basilicata - 1621-1650

Old copper-engraved map of southern Italy (Mezzogiorno: 'Pouilles', Basilicate, Calabria) hand-enhanced, by Mercator, published in 1633 in the Mercator-Hondius atlas.

There is an engraved cartouche with colored scrolls, with the title inscribed in a circular medallion. A sailing ship navigates in the Tyrrhenian Sea, near the Aeolian Islands. The seas bear calligraphic lettering with bold flourishes (Mare Tyrrheno, Mare Jonio, Golfo Venetiae).
The relief is depicted with dimpled textures, showing rivers and numerous localities, some towns represented by small views. The scale is given in Italian miles and the frame is graduated in latitude and longitude.

- Dimensions: on sheet: 56 x 47.5 cm; on the copper plate (map): 46.9 x 35.3 cm
- Condition: Very good overall for a map of this age. There is a central vertical crease, light stains, and a few traces. See photos for more details.

Atlas Mercator-Hondius
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The atlas called “Mercator-Hondius” takes up the work of Gerard Mercator, whose copper plates were purchased by Jodocus Hondius in 1604. This French edition of 1633 is signed by his son Henricus Hondius and his son-in-law Joannes Janssonius, who augmented it with new maps.

Gérard Mercator
- Gérard Mercator (Geert de Cremer) was born in 1512 at Rupelmonde (Flanders) and died in 1594 in Duisburg. Trained at the University of Louvain, he knew Gemma Frisius. He produced the world globe of 1541 and the celestial globe of 1551, then a map of Europe in 1554. Settled in Duisburg, he presented in 1569 his map of the world in a conform Cylindrical projection, still used today. His atlas appeared in parts (1585, 1589), then in full in 1595, published after his death by his son Rumold. Jodocus Hondius acquired the copper plates in 1604, and the atlas was reissued in numerous editions, including the 1633 edition."