Rare 1704 Amsterdam Edition With 11 Maps!
First published in Paris in 1641, Geographia Sacra by Vialart de Saint-Pau, Bishop of Avranches (1640–1644), presents a comprehensive history of Christianity, enriched with detailed maps.
This seminal work underwent significant expansion in the 17th century, including contributions by the esteemed scholar Lucas Holstenius (1596–1661) and Cardinal Francesco Barberini (1597-1679), nephew of Pope Urban VIII. Holstenius, a notable geographer and theological writer, added his annotations during his tenure as Keeper of the Vatican Library, a position he held from 1627. His scholarly insights were written during his travels through Italy with Philipp Clüver (1580–1622), one of the era’s preeminent geographers, and first appeared in the 1703 edition alongside the original text.
This edition, published by François Halma in Amsterdam, includes 11 double-page maps depicting regions of immense historical and theological significance: Europe, England, Turkey, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Arabia, North Africa (2), and Palestine. The maps also highlight the locations of Holy Sees, offering a visual representation of the ecclesiastical geography central to Christian history. Halma, renowned for his contributions to historical and theological publishing, also issued editions of Ptolemy's Tabulae geographicae orbis terrarum in 1695, Schotanus à Sterringa's Friesche Atlas (as Uitbeelding der heerlijkheit Freisland) in 1698, and Sanson's Description de l'Univers in 1709.
This edition of Geographia Sacra stands as a collaborative achievement, merging Vialart’s original theological vision with the geographic expertise of Holstenius, enriched by the patronage of Cardinal Barberini. Together with its detailed cartographic elements, this work represents a pivotal fusion of sacred history and geographic scholarship, making it a valuable resource for understanding the intersections of faith, geography, and history in early modern Europe.
The maps include:
- Arabia (Patriarchatus Antiocheni)
- England
- Europe (Roman Empire)
- France
- Greece
- Italy
- North Africa (western part)
- North Africa (eastern part)
- Palestine
- Spain
- Turkey
Rarity
Most examples in commerce have only 10 maps. The only example at auction which we located with 11 maps was the Macclesfield copy.