A Mirror of the World: Five Centuries of Geographical Atlases
[Portolan Atlas von Battista Agnese (1546)].
Disentis, Graz, Moscow: Desertina, Akademishe Druck-u.Verlagsanstalt, Autor, 1993
1 vol.(21 pl.) 37,5х 26 cm.
Shelfmark: К 4-Мир-27/3306
It is a facsimile edition of a manuscript atlas by the renowned Italian map-maker Battista Agnese from the collection of the Cartography Department of the National Library of Russia, produced through the joint efforts of publishing firms in Austria, Switzerland and Russia.
Nautical navigational maps from the Middle Ages were the predecessors of Agnese's atlas, although, it is characterised by a number of new traits. The comparatively small scales of the maps, additional inland features, and the special attention paid to its artistic decoration - all this indicates that the Portolan Atlas was not suitable for use in practical navigation. It was intended primarily for libraries as a reference publication.
In this edition, one of the finest illustrations is especially interesting in connection with the origin of the term "atlas". The first person to use the word "atlas" in the title of his work was Gerardus Mercator, who also included a depiction of the Greek Titan Atlas on the title-page. The same figure can be seen in Agnese's work, although the map collection itself does not has a title.
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