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Rare early view of Rio De Janeiro from From GIUSEPPE DI SANTA TERESA, Istoria delle Guerre del Regno del Brasile… published in Rome in 1698. One of the most interesting early large format views of the region and certainly one of the scarcest. Shows Rio and the original settlements of S. Christofero and S. Sebastiano, along with ships in the harbor, two fortifications at the mouth of the harbor and a decorative compass rose. An excellent early view in attractive color. Part of the right margin has been extended, without loss to the printed image.
Giacomo Giovanni Rossi (1627-1691) was an Italian engraver and printer. He worked in Rome, the heir to an important printing business founded by his father, Giuseppe de Rossi (1570-1639). Giuseppe began the press in 1633 and Giovanni and his brother, Giandomenico (1619-1653) took it over upon his death. The brothers expanded the business and by the mid-seventeenth century it was the best-known printing house in Rome.
For his maps, Giovanni worked with Giacomo Cantelli da Vignola. They produced the Atlas Mercurio Geografico. The first edition is undated, but the second was issued in 1692, a year after Giovanni’s death. The maps were by Cantelli. The firm also published maps based on those of Nicolas Sanson.
Later, the business passed to Lorenzo Filippo (1682-?). By 1738, the firm was known as Calcografia Camerale, then, from 1870 to 1945, as the Regia Calcografica. Today, the firm is still in business and is called Calcografia Nazionale. It operates as a free museum and offers one of the best collections of prints and plates in the world.
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![[ Acapulco and Environs ] Disposition des Vaisseaux de l'Escadre commandee par Mr. Anson croisant, vis a vis d' Acapulco en 1742](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/98783.jpg)