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Description

One of the most decorative and sought after separate maps of the Philippines,which appeared in Zatta's monumental 3 volume Altante Novissimo, one of the last great decorative atlases of the 18th Century.

Antonio Zatta's "Isole Filippine," published in Venice in 1785, represents a European Enlightenment reflection of the pioneering cartographical work carried out in colonial Asia. This meticulously detailed map traced its origins back to the Pedro Murillo Velarde wall map, "Carta hydrographica y chorographica de las yslas Filipinas," which was first published in Manila in 1734. The Zatta map, as an interpretation and elaboration of the Velarde map, serves as an insightful testament to the historical evolution and exchange of geographic knowledge in the late eighteenth century.

Pedro Murillo Velarde and His Map

Pedro Murillo Velarde, a Spanish Jesuit priest, lawyer, and historian, was a significant figure in the Philippines during the early 18th century. He arrived in the Philippines in 1728 and spent the following years documenting and studying the archipelago. The Murillo Velarde map was considered the first and most important scientific map of the Philippine archipelago. It served as a reference for subsequent maps of the area and became the cornerstone of Philippine cartography.

Composed with the aid of two Filipino artists / engravers, Nicolas de la Cruz Bagay and Francisco Suarez, the map represented an amalgamation of detailed hydrography, topography, and annotated accounts of local cultures. It was a significant advancement in geographic knowledge of the region and signaled a new era of cartography that fused scientific detail with artistic representation.

The Capture of Manila and the Map's Journey

The wider historical context provides an intriguing backdrop to the story of Murillo Velarde's map. The Seven Years' War (1756-1763), a global conflict involving most of the great powers of the time, had its theater in the Asian Pacific as well. As part of this war, the British captured Manila, the capital of the Spanish Philippines, in 1762 under the command of Brigadier-General William Draper.

The British invasion was marked by looting and appropriation of valuable artifacts, among which were the copper plates used for printing Murillo Velarde's map. These plates, valuable in their own right for their historical and geographic significance, were taken back to London as spoils of war, where the map was re-issued in about 1764.

Antonio Zatta and the "Isole Filippine"

More than two decades later, Antonio Zatta, a prominent Italian cartographer, published "Isole Filippine" in Venice in 1785. Zatta was known for his decorative and detailed, scientifically accurate maps and atlases that reflected the Enlightenment era's penchant for exploration and scientific discovery, including many important maps from the explorations of James Cook in the Pacific.

Zatta's map was an adaptation of the Velarde map, primarily relying on its earlier counterpart for detailed geographic information about the Philippines. However, the "Isole Filippine" also incorporated new information and adaptations that signified an evolution in European understanding and representation of Southeast Asia.

Antonio Zatta Biography

Antonio Zatta (fl. 1757-1797) was a prominent Italian editor, cartographer, and publisher. Little is known about his life beyond his many surviving published works. It is possible that he was born as early as 1722 and lived as late as 1804. He lived in Venice and his work flourished between 1757 and 1797. He is best known for his atlas, Atlante Novissimo (1779-1785), and for his prolific output of prints and books that were both precisely made and aesthetically pleasing. Zatta clearly had a large network from which to draw information; this is how he was able to publish the first glimpse of the islands visited by Captain Cook in the Atlante Novissimo. Zatta also published books of plays and architecture.