Levanto, Francesco M.
1664

Carta Maritima della Meridionale Costa di MOREA

Carta Maritima della Meridionale Costa di MOREA dal isola Sapienza sin al C.S. Angelo e isole circumvicine.

DESCRIPTION: Rare Genoan antique nautical chart of the Greek coast including the named islands of Sapienza, Schiza, I. Cervij ( Elafonisos ), Serigo (Kythera), and Serigotto (Antikythera), Greece. Antikythera is best known for being near the site at which the so-called Antikythera mechanism was recovered by sponge divers in 1900. That mechanism is an early clockwork device with meshed bronze gears that allowed the user to calculate the position of astronomical objects, eclipses, and lunar phase by rotating a hand crank. The significance of the device is that it is believed to date from antiquity- 67 BC and is by far the oldest analog computer ever discovered.

Coverage includes a long stretch of the southern coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, known in earlier times as the Morea. Primary geographic features include Cape Matapan and Cape Maleo ( Cap San Angelo) with the following settlements identified by name: Modon ( Methoni ), Coron ( Koroni ), Vitulo ( Porto Vitilo ). Porto Rapini is a bit more difficult to identify but based on 19th century works only present-day Marathias fits the location. Almost 2 centuries after this chart was published, Norie described Porto Rapina:

"you will see a long even point of land and behind it two round hills" . . . "there are two small islands before the northern entrance to the port" and noted that the Island of Cervi was "7 miles southward".

That description fits only Marathias. (Norie, John William. New Mediterranean Pilot. 1817, p 140.)

This old sea chart was produced by Genoan cartographer Francesco Maria Levanto in 1664. Levanto's "La Prima Parte dello Specchio del Mare" (Sea Mirror) was probably based on earlier Dutch charts, possibly by Jacobsz.

This chart was reissued about 40 year later by Coronelli. Charts from the Specchio del Mare are quite scarce. Plate 17. Oriented North at top. Chain laid paper.

CREATOR: Levanto, Francesco M.

PUBLICATION DATE: 1664

GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Greece

BODY OF WATER: Ionian Sea

CONDITION: Good Strong impression. Paper good condition, medium weight, light tanning. Light spotty browning to map area, possibly from ink rubbing off. Top margin narrows on right side to 1/4 inch from neat line.

COLORING: None

ENGRAVER:

SIZE: 21 " x 16 "

ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 8

PRICE: $900

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