"Provincia di Paraiba", Horatius, Andreas Antonius

This striking map covers the province of Paraiba and illustrates its important rivers and prosperous sugar plantations. It 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, in part due to the incredible maps. 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 bays, rivers and streams carefully delineated. There are numerous settlements and churches located as well as a network of early roads. A large compass rose orients the map with north to the right. The map is elaborately adorned with putti supporting the ribbon-style title cartouche and royal coat of arms, and sea monsters supporting the shell-shaped distance scales cartouche.

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Condition: B+

Issued folded, now flattened with some tissue reinforcements on verso. There is a small area of faint staining at upper centerfold.