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This 1651 map was engraved by Philippe de La Rue and published in Paris by Pierre Mariette. It depicts the northern territories of the Ottoman Empire in Europe, including the principalities of Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia, which were under Ottoman suzerainty at the time. The map is detailed, showing major rivers such as the Danube (Danubio), key cities including Belgrade (Belgrado), Bucharest (Bucarest), and Kiev (Kiow), and the Black Sea (Mer Noire).
The cartouche, adorned with a draped banner design, emphasizes the map's focus on territories within Ottoman Europe. This map highlights the strategic and political importance of these regions, which served as a buffer zone between the Ottoman Empire and neighboring powers such as Poland, Hungary, and Russia. The intricate detailing reflects the precision of French cartography during the mid-17th century, catering to European audiences interested in Ottoman territorial influence and geopolitical dynamics.
First edition of this scarce map.
Nicholas Sanson (1600-1667) is considered the father of French cartography in its golden age from the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-eighteenth. Over the course of his career he produced over 300 maps; they are known for their clean style and extensive research. Sanson was largely responsible for beginning the shift of cartographic production and excellence from Amsterdam to Paris in the later-seventeenth century.
Sanson was born in Abbeville in Picardy. He made his first map at age twenty, a wall map of ancient Gaul. Upon moving to Paris, he gained the attention of Cardinal Richelieu, who made an introduction of Sanson to King Louis XIII. This led to Sanson's tutoring of the king and the granting of the title ingenieur-geographe du roi.
His success can be chalked up to his geographic and research skills, but also to his partnership with Pierre Mariette. Early in his career, Sanson worked primarily with the publisher Melchior Tavernier. Mariette purchased Tavernier’s business in 1644. Sanson worked with Mariette until 1657, when the latter died. Mariette’s son, also Pierre, helped to publish the Cartes générales de toutes les parties du monde (1658), Sanson' atlas and the first French world atlas.
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