Botero Benes, Giovanni (Juan)

Relaciones universales del mundo - Primera y segunda parte

      Valladolid, Diego Fernandez de Cordoba - 1599/1600/1603. (Palau 33704; Vindel pp 56-59; JCB, Europ Americana: 603/17; JCB 1922: III pp 20; Sabin 6809; Medina: BHA 468; Burden, 129). In folio, contemporary limp vellum. Title in contemporary manuscript on spine. Two books in one volume. 5 folding maps.*This is Giovanni Botero's famous description of the world, first published in Italian (Bergamo 1594/ 1595), in Spanish. There is some bibliographical confusion about the Spanish editions. Palau mentions a first edition in Spanish, dated 1600, and a second edition (as ours) dated 1603 on the title page. Exept for the date on the title page however, both books seem to be identical. Other bibliographers only mention (have seen) the 1603 edition. The second confusion is about the maps. Most bibliographers do not mention the folded in maps (by Hernando de Solis), though they are an essential part of the book. These maps are a set of the earliest Spanish maps of the world, and extremely rare (compare Vindel). The first part is divided into six books. Book four and five are dedicated to the new world and book six is dedicated to the islands in the oceans, including Japan , the Philippines ; Indonesia , Singapore and the islands of China but also the islands around Africa, the Caribbean and the fabled Frisland (183 in verso) and the islands of Holland, Zeeland, all of Great Britain; Malta Cyprus and the Mediterranean. The second part is historically oriented and decribes the characteristics of the some key European nations and the great empires of the past and present world (Romans but also Moghul, Chinese and Japanese empires).The maps. The five maps in the book: a set of the world and continents are made after Ortelius by the Spanish cartographer Hernan de Solis y Ribadenayra. The world map is engraved after Ortelius first state worldmap of 1570 (bulging South America) and surrounded by strapwork which contains four medalions, each showing one of the continents. A playful idea which enhances the coherence of the five maps. This worldmap , with lettering in Spanish and signed in the plate (Solis fecit, Valladolid) and to be dated 1598 (as the America map, also signed by Solis is) (Shirley 242). The map is rare and Map Prices Records only mention three copies sold in the last 25 years. The map of the Americas is also surrounded by strapwork, showing in two medalions the faces of Columbus and of Vespucci. The characteristic western bulge of South America is there and a large Southland is connected to New Guinee. This map is also signed and in this case dated in the plate: Hernando de Soliz lo heco en Valladolid, anno de 1598. This well engraved map is rarely found in the book, which itself is scarce (Burden 129; Vindel: ) The only Spanish maps of the Americas, which precede the Solis map are the famous Pedro de Martyr map of the Caribbean (1511); the Medina maps in his Arte de Navigar; the small Chavez map of South America (1554) and the Cieza de Leon map of that same year. Map Prices records show only one copy offered for sale in the last 25 years. The other continent maps: Europe, Africa and Asia, are similar to the corresponding Ortelius maps though they are new engravings and carry Spanish lettering. #[600]