ARTIST: Arnoldus Montanus
PUBLISHER: Published by Jacob van Meurs, Amsterdam.
MEDIUM: Copper plate engraving,
DATE: 1671.
EDITION SIZE: Image size 11 1/4 x 13 5/8" (285 x 347 mm).
DESCRIPTION: This magnificent birds-eye view of Angra on Terceira in the Azores, is a reduced image of the view published in Jan Huygen van Linschoten’s Itinerario. The map was first reproduced by Johann Theodore de Bry in 1601 to illustrate the account of Van Linschoten’s travels in De Bry's Minor Voyages. The Azores were first discovered in 1439 by Prince Henry the Navigator, and were initially colonized by the Portuguese. Their strategic location played an invaluable role in the expansion of the Portuguese empire, and they served as an important port of call for Portuguese vessels traveling to South America, Africa, and the Orient. The layout and fortification of the city are carefully recorded in this detailed plan, as is the abundant farmlands surrounding the city. Great attention is paid to the placement and fortification of the harbor, which would have been one of the most important assets of this trade route island. Located in between a shallow sandy outcrop and the fort of San Sabastian, the harbor is well protected from both treacherous weather and invading ships. This important view appeared in Montanus’s "De Nieuwe en Onbekende Weereld: of Beschryving van America".
ADDITIONAL INFO:
CONDITION: Good condition. Black and white.
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