Coronelli's Description of the Morea in French.

CORONELLI, Vincenzo Maria. Historical & geographical memoirs of the kingdom of the Morea, Negrepont, and maritime places, as far as Thessalonica. Memoires Historiques & Geographiques du Royaume de la Moree, Negrepont & des places Maritimes Jusques à Thessalonique. Recueillis et enrichis des cartes des païs, et des plans des places Par P.M Coronelli, Geograph de la Republique de Venise.. Traduit de l'italien. Amsterdam Chez Woolfgang, Waesberge, Boon & van Sommern 1686
12mo: [4]-232-[2] pp.; with 42 double page, folded copper plates with maps, plans, views of Morea and Negroponte. Contemporary full calf; spine gilt, shelf label .
First edition printed in the Netherlands, with text in French and the plates again engraved, released in the same year of the two Italian editions in-folio and in-8 °.
This is a new translation prepared from the Italian text rather than being merely a reprint of the French translation by Barbin published in Paris in the same year It seems to have appeared in octavo only, and not in folio as with other editions. The plates were also newly engraved for this edition. 42 plates views and maps. Contemporary full calf; head cap missing; joints worn, corners bumped. Title, censored and laid down; First plate misbound, according to list of plates it should be the map of Morea instead swapped with plate 36 plan Le Port Lion; view of Modon; tear to view of Mistrawithout loss [repaired with archival tape to verso]; Map of Corfuwith tear without loss, at centre [repaired to verso with archival tape]; small hole to 2nd plate Napoli de Romanie; tear to margin p221 and lack of paper to upper margin just entering text.

CORONELLI, Vincenzo Maria (1650-1718).
Franciscan monk, cosmographer, cartographer, publisher, famous for his globes and also the "Atlante Veneto-Isolario" 1690-96 and the"Corso Geografico Universale"of 1692-97 to name the most important of the some 140 books he published.
In his home city he founded the very first geographical society, the Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti. He also held the position of Cosmographer of the Republic of Venice. Later six volumes of the Biblioteca Universale Sacro-Profana were published by Coronelli. This was a kind of encyclopedia, its compiled entries were ordered alphabetically.
Coronelli died at the age of 68 in Venice, having created hundreds of maps in his lifetime.
Brunet II:287; -Blackmer, Sotheby's 1989, n° 72 (Ital. ed., 1687); -Atabey, Sotheby's 2002 n° 283 (Fr. ed., 1687); Weber 810. 160 by 100mm (6¼ by 4 inches).   ref: 3227  €3500