Porcacchi, Tomasso
1686

Antique map of Santorini, Greece

Aegean island of Santorini, Greece

DESCRIPTION: Old antique copperplate-engraved map of the Greek island of Santorini, Greece in the Aegean Sea. Noted points of interest include the islands of Apronisi and Therasia, nearby Santorini, along with the Santorinan habitations of S. Salvador, Akrotiri ("Acortiri") , Scaro, and Nebrio. The colorful map was printed in 1686 in one of the last editions of Tomasso Porcacchi's "Isolario" or island book " L'Isol Piu Famose Del Mondo" which was first published in Venice ca. 1572. This 1686 edition is differentiated from earlier versions of Porcacchi's atlas in that 1) it is the only edition where the maps are not set within printed text, and 2) the chart was re-engraved for this edition and the compass rose is less elaborate.

On the compass rose Porcacchi identifies eight points that correspond to the classical eight-point naming convention for Mediterranean winds that dates back at least 2000 years. The octagonal "Tower of the Winds" of the Roman Agora in Athens, Greece contains friezes on each wall depicting the principal wind deities and was once capped with a weathervane. Porcacchi's compass rose symbols "T", "G", "+" , "S", "O", "L", "P", "M", correspond to the Italian names for the principal Mediterranean winds: Tramontana ( North ), Greco, Levante ( with a cross denoting East ), Sirocco, Ostro ( South ), Libeccio. Ponente ( West ), and Maestro. ( Taylor, E.G.R., "The Haven Finding Art: A History of Navigation from Odysseus to Captain Cook". New York. 1957 (pp. 6-8)

Simple design as is common in the Isolario maps with depictions of two mythical sea monsters and a scrollwork title cartouche labeled simply: "Santorini". Seas are stippled

Ample margins and hand-coloring make this antique map of Santorini a fine candidate for framing.

CREATOR: Porcacchi, Tomasso

PUBLICATION DATE: 1686

GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Greece

BODY OF WATER: Aegean Sea

CONDITION: Good. Clean and bright on chain laid paper without condition issues. Four tiny wormholes in the margins, well outside the neatline demonstrate the extreme age of this scarce relic.

COLORING: Modern hand-coloring.

ENGRAVER:

SIZE: 7 " x 5 "

ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 2

PRICE: $300

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