Vincenzo Coronelli cosmografo della Serenissima Republica di Venetia

Date1693-1696

Object number00003609

NameEngraving

MediumPaper, printing ink, iron gall ink

DimensionsSheet: 503 × 362 mm
Display dimensions (C Fini Mount): 717 × 522 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionThis engraving depicts Vincenzo Coronelli (1650-1718), an Italian monk who produced early globes, atlases and encyclopedias.HistoryFather Vincenzo Coronelli was one of the most famous globe makers and was born near Venice. He entered the Minorite order and as a young monk was sent to Rome. After his return to Parma he made a large manuscript globe for the Duke of Parma, which was the beginning of his career as a globe maker. Having seen his work, Cardinal D'Estee commissioned Coronelli to build the largest and most wonderful globe for the King of France, Louis XIV. Coronelli moved to Paris, where he directed the work on a giant pair of spheres, the King Louis XIV terrestrial and celestial globes have a diameter of almost 4 metres. He finished the work by 1683 and was awarded with a golden medal by the king. The globes, however, were transported to Marly and not Versailles, and remained there for many years. Today they can be seen in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. Coronelli became one of the most reputed cosmographers of his age. He returned to Venice and founded the world's first geographical society, Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti. The first publication for this exclusive group was the printed version of the large Paris globes. A workshop was set up in Coronelli's monastery in Venice and started work on the approximately 110cm globes. In 1688, the first copies of the terrestrial globes were presented to the Venetian Doge, and Coronelli became the publisher of the largest and most decorative globes ever printed. Globe gores were published from 1693 along with hundreds of maps and views in the most ambitious cartographical project, Atlante Veneto.SignificanceThis engraving represents an important individual in the dissemination of geographical knowledge in the seventeenth century.