A Rare Italian Atlas of the Many Islands of the Aegean. Extra Illustrated with a Folding Map of Greece.
Beautiful atlas and travel book about Greece, the Aegean, and Western Anatolia, filled with maps of the region's many islands.
The atlas was published in 1688 by the Soliani Heirs publishing firm in Modena, Italy, and the maps are engraved by Francesco Piacenza. The first maps in the book are regional, covering Greece, Morea, and the Aegean. The rest of the maps are detailed island maps and are accompanied by lengthy descriptions concerning the geography, history, and peoples of the islands.
In the 17th century, the Aegean Sea was largely under the dominion of the Ottoman Empire, which had seen substantial growth and expansion since the previous century. Notably, the pivotal Siege of Candia (1648–1669), one of the longest sieges in history, marked a significant point in this period, seeing the Ottomans capture the Venetian colony of Crete, which lies south of the Aegean Sea. Venetian colonies in the Aegean Sea, including those on the islands of Tinos and Kythira, felt the pressure from Ottoman expansion.
There was an evident rivalry between these Italian maritime republics, especially Venice, and the Ottoman Empire; however, the balance of power was firmly tipped in favor of the latter. The Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699 (about a decade after this book was published), which marked the end of the Great Turkish War, further solidified Ottoman control over much of the Aegean region, pushing the Italian maritime republics to the periphery and heralding a period of Ottoman hegemony.
The atlas appears to be extra-illustrated with a map of Greece and the Aegean entitled Arcipelago Con la Morea Sino a Costantinopoli. Other collations we have located appear to call for 62 or 63 maps (it is unclear if the one calling for 62 maps is correct and complete). Digitized examples of the book do not appear to have this map either.
List of Maps
- Arcipelago Con la Morea Sino a Costantinopoli [Folding]
- [Morea]
- [Aegum Mare]
- Candia
- Scarpanto
- Carchi E Limonia
- Simie
- Piscopia
- Nisare
- Caloiero
- Lango
- Agathonissi Eleo Fermaco
- Samo
- Psara
- Crusia, Lipso, Tragia, Fornoli
- Nicaria
- Mandria
- Pathmus
- Leria
- Calamo
- Stampalia
- Zinara e Levita
- Amorgo
- Isole Leleadi
- Nio
- Policandro e Sicandro
- Namphio
- Santorini
- Milo
- Siphano
- Thera
- Zea
- Serphino
- Fermenia
- Cythnus
- Andro
- Tine
- Sdile
- Micone
- Isole Cidalie
- Nicsia
- Paris
- Sirna
- Scio
- Metelin
- Tenedo
- Maure Oviaro Forino Martese
- Stalimine
- Lembro
- Samandrachi
- Monte Santo e Tasso
- S. Strati
- Isole Sphegie
- Pelagnisi
- Isole Gregarie
- Isole Gildrome
- Schiro
- Cicynnethus
- Negroponte
- Engia
- Isole Solari
- Cerigo
- Rhodi
- Cipro [Folding]