"Provincie del Para e del Maragnone", Horatius, Andreas Antonius

This marvelous map of the Brazilian provinces of Para and Maranhao was one of 23 maps from this rare account of the Dutch-Portuguese colonial war. Written by Joao José de Santa Teresa, and known among bibliophiles as the Santa Teresa, it is considered one of the most sumptuous 17th century works on Brazil. Santa Teresa, a Portuguese Carmelite spent twelve years in the Jesuit missions of South America and then returned to Europe where he became librarian of the college of the Jesuits in Rome. His account was heavily subsidized by Pedro II of Portugal, and some of the period's leading artists and engravers, including Antonio Horacio Andreas, were engaged to work on the project. It was published by Giacomo Giovanni Rossi. The map itself is beautifully drawn and provides an excellent view of the region with rivers and streams carefully delineated including the Amazon delta. The locations of villages, missions and forts are recorded, including Sao Luis. Even the navigational hazards are shown along the coastline. A large compass rose orients the map with north to the right. The map is elaborately adorned with putti supporting the title cartouche and royal coat of arms and dragons supporting the scale of miles.

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Condition: A

Issued folding, now flattened with some tissue reinforcement of folds on verso.