18th century Italian map of the Cape of Good Hope

ALBRIZZI, Giovanni Battista.

Carta Geografica Del Capo Di Buona Speranza.
Venice, Albrizzi, 1740. Coloured. 350 x 445mm.

Old ink mss. pagination in upper margin.

An extraordinarily detailed map of the Cape, from Saldanha Bay to Cape Point and False Bay, including Robben Island. The map documents various homesteads of the Khoikhoi and of the named early Dutch, German and French settlers alike. One notable such plantation is the "Luogo di delizia del Sr. Vander Stel", now known as Vergelegen, "remotely situated". The emphasis of the map is on the best places to make landfall and on settlement. Aside from already established tracts of land, the map identifies arable land, meadows, marshes, valleys and other topographical features such as Table Mountain, the Helderberg, "Monti di Perle" (Paarl Rock) and "Monti Cavalli" (the Paardeberg). Interestingly, the legend explains the ring formation and function of the "Hottentot" (Khoikhoi) "coralli" or kraal.

The map is decorated with a title vignette depicting Khoikhoi building a traditional round dwelling, an elephant, rhinoceroses and ships.


Stock ID : 19893