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Description

Nice old color example of Jansson's second map of Istria, with east oriented at the top.

Jansson's map is based upon Magini's map of 1620, which appeared in his atlas of Italy, the first modern atlas to focus on Italy.

Shows the Istria peninsula, Gulf of Treiste and the nearby islands. Inland is a huge Czirnicser See (Lake Cerknica), which does not appear on Blaeu's map of the same title. This is an intermittent lake that can be completely dry for years. But when full, it is the largest lake in Slovenia. As a part of the Venetian Republic, this region contained many important sea ports that are highlighted on the map.

Condition Description
Old color.
Jan Jansson Biography

Jan Janssonius (also known as Johann or Jan Jansson or Janszoon) (1588-1664) was a renowned geographer and publisher of the seventeenth century, when the Dutch dominated map publishing in Europe. Born in Arnhem, Jan was first exposed to the trade via his father, who was also a bookseller and publisher. In 1612, Jan married the daughter of Jodocus Hondius, who was also a prominent mapmaker and seller. Jonssonius’ first maps date from 1616.

In the 1630s, Janssonius worked with his brother-in-law, Henricus Hondius. Their most successful venture was to reissue the Mercator-Hondius atlas. Jodocus Hondius had acquired the plates to the Mercator atlas, first published in 1595, and added 36 additional maps. After Hondius died in 1612, Henricus took over publication; Janssonius joined the venture in 1633. Eventually, the atlas was renamed the Atlas Novus and then the Atlas Major, by which time it had expanded to eleven volumes. Janssonius is also well known for his volume of English county maps, published in 1646.

Janssonius died in Amsterdam in 1664. His son-in-law, Johannes van Waesbergen, took over his business. Eventually, many of Janssonius’ plates were sold to Gerard Valck and Pieter Schenk, who added their names and continued to reissue the maps.