Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 2 / Their History and Construction Including a Consideration of their Value as Aids in the Study of Geography and Astronomy

by Edward Luther Stevenson

Thirty-eight constellations are designated in the northern hemisphere, twelve in the zodiac, and thirty-three in the southern hemisphere, thus adding thirty-five to the number as given by Ptolemy. Instead of Ptolemy’s 1022 catalogued stars, including fifteen of the first magnitude, forty-five of the second, two hundred and eight of the third, four hundred and seventy-four of the fourth, two hundred and seventeen of the fifth, forty-nine of the sixth, and forty which were nebular and indistinct, Coronelli gives the number as 1902, including eighteen of the first, sixty-eight of the second, two hundred and thirty-seven of the third, four hundred and ninety-six of the fourth, four hundred and eighty-nine of the fifth, five hundred and sixteen of the sixth, and seventy-eight which were nebular and indistinct. Five of the latter, having been discovered in the previous one hundred and twenty-five years, had wholly or in part disappeared in Coronelli’s day, of which, that making its appearance in the constellation Cassiopeia in the year 1572 disappeared in the year 1574, that discovered in the year 1596 in the Whale was rapidly diminishing in size, that discovered by Tycho Brahe in the Swan in the year 1600 ceased to be visible in the year 1629 to reappear in the year 1659, that in the Serpent larger than the planet Jupiter which was visible but thirteen months, that in the head of the Swan discovered in the year 1670 and still visible.

Coronelli seems to have made every endeavor to produce maps for his terrestrial globes which should omit nothing of real interest and value to geographers, navigators, and explorers. He added a rather unusual number of legends, explanatory and informative in character, but never seemed to crowd the space which he had at his disposal. So exquisitely engraved were his maps that he was able to avoid the appearance of confusion noticeable on certain other globes of his century, as, for example, in the Old World parts of Blaeu’s globe of 1622. It is very evident that many pages would be required for anything like a detailed description of his records, and the great majority must necessarily be omitted. To those quoted above a few, however, may be added.

Blaeu’s reference to the prime meridian was cited in full as was that of Moroncelli; Coronelli’s reference is here likewise cited, which, it will be noted, is not without errors. It is one having to do with problems concerning the determination of longitude, hence involving interests of vital concern to navigation. “Del primo meridiano. Sono in questo 72 meridiani, 36 con linee continuate, le altre sono di punti, da ciascuno dei quali è diviso in G. 5 di longitudine che è il corso del Sole in un terzo d’oro. Li Geografi antichi e moderni non convengono nel luogo dove passa il primo meridiano; tra li primi Eratostene l’ha posto alle Colonne d’Hercole, Marino di Tyr all’Isole Fortunate, Tolomeo nella sua Geografia ha seguito la stessa opinione; ma ne’ suoi libri di Astronomia l’ ha passato per Alessandria d’Egitto. Tra li moderni Ismaele Abulfeda lo segna a Cadiz, Alfonzo a Toledo, Pigafetta et Herrera hanno fatto il medisimo; Copernico lo pone a Freudenburgo; Renoldo a Monte Reale o Konisberg; Keplero a Uraniburgo; Longo Montano a Kopenhagen; Lansbergius a Goes; Ricciolo a Bologna. Gli Atlanti di Jansonio e di Blaeu a Monte Pico. Per continuare l’origine della mia Geografia ho posto in questo Globo il primo meridiano nella parte più occidentale della Isola di Ferro, com’onche per seguire il Decreto di Luigi XIII, che col consiglio de’ Geog. nel 1634 lo determinò in questo stesso luogo.” “Concerning the first meridian. There are represented on this 72 meridians, 36 with continuous lines—the others are marked,—by each of which it is divided into 5 degrees of longitude, which is the course of the sun in one third of an hour. The ancient and modern geographers do not agree upon the place through which the first meridian passes: among the former, Eratosthenes put it at the Pillars of Hercules; Marinus of Tyre at the Canary Islands; Ptolemy in his geography has followed the same opinion, but in his books on astronomy he has located it as running through Alexandria in Egypt. Among the moderns, Ismail Aboulfeda puts it at Cadiz; Alfonso at Toledo; Pigafetta and Herrera have done the same; Copernicus puts it at Freudenberg; Reinhold at Mount Royal (Königsberg); Kepler at Uranienburg; Longomontanus at Copenhagen; Lansberg at Goa; Ricciola at Bologna; the atlases of Jansson and Blaeu at Mount Pico. To continue the precedent of my geography I have on this globe placed the first meridian in the most western part of the Island of Ferro,—as also to follow the decree of Louis XIII, who on the advice of the geographers in 1634 assigned it to this same place.” California he lays down as an island, west of which is a legend relating to “Nuova Albione,” and north in the Pacific one relating to “Stretto di Anian.” There is reference to the route to Goa, which is placed near the Island of Madagascar. The reference to the Zambesi River clearly gives evidence of acquaintance with Portuguese records of which we have no other knowledge. This legend reads, “Rio Zambese: Città e fortezza di Tete de Portugal; Fortezza di S. Estevao; Minere di Ferro; Minere d’argento che il Re di Monom. promise al Re di Spagna nel 1604; Fortezza di Chicova.” “Zambesi River: City and fortress of Tete of Portugal; fortress of S. Estevao; iron mines; silver mines which the King of Monomotapa promised to the King of Spain in 1604; fortress of Chicova.” Like the other leading map makers of the period he has indicated the course of certain transoceanic expeditions, occasionally noting the distance sailed on each successive day, with other valuable and interesting information relating to the position of the sun and the moon, to atmospheric conditions, to the appearance of sea birds and of certain marine animals.

Globes of this 1688 edition may be found in the Biblioteca Comunale of Fano; in the Biblioteca Comunale of Faenza; in the Königliche Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon of Dresden, celestial undated; in the Biblioteca Civico of Bergamo; in the Biblioteca Gonzaga of Mantua; in the Biblioteca Marciana of Venice (Figs. [112], [113]); in the Museo Civico of Venice; in the Biblioteca Universitario of Naples; in the Palazzo Manin of Passeriano. The twelve gores of the terrestrial globe may be found in the British Museum; a fine copy of the twelve gores may also be found in the Library of Congress, Washington; a copy of the mounted terrestrial globe belongs to the Biblioteca Emanuele of Rome; three copies of this globe in addition to the pair referred to above belong to the Museo Civico of Venice.

Fig. 112. Terrestrial Globe of P. Vincenzo Coronelli, 1688.

Fig. 113. Celestial Globe of P. Vincenzo Coronelli, 1688.