“PARAGVAY, O PROV. DE RIO DE LA PLATA…” Amsterdam: Guilliaume Blaeu, c. 1646. Beautifully engraved map with original hand-coloring. Verso text: French. (Image: 14 ¾ x 18 ¾’’)
This map depicts central South America or Paraguay (present-day Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru & Bolivia). Topographical features are shown, & major cities, towns (including R. Ianiero, S. Paulo, Buenos Ayres, Corduba, Medoca, Arica, Potosi and Cusco), Indian villages, missions, mountains & waterways are located. Rio de la Plata is boldly noted with many large islands.
Also shown is mythical Lago de los Xarayes - believed to connect Rio de la Plata & the Amazon River system. The decorative title cartouche incorporates the distance scales, while a smaller cartouche features an armillary sphere. A fine, large compass rose also adorns the map.
The name Paraguay was applied not only to the country between Rio Paraguay & Rio Parana, but to the whole Spanish territory. Though “the interior terrain is not mapped with any particular degree of accuracy, Blaeu’s map nevertheless conveys a vivid impression of the difficult terrain of the Andes in Peru”. (Royal Geographical Society, Blaeu's The Grand Atlas, p.188). In 1528 Sebastian Cabot reached Paraguay and built a fort called Santo Espiritu. Asuncion was founded in 1537 by Juan de Ayolas. His successor “Martinez de Irala determined to make it the capital of the Spanish possessions east of the Andes…From here the Spanish adventurers pushed east to La Guayra beyond the Parana and west into Gran Chaco; and before long the vast numbers of the less warlike natives were reduced to serfdom” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1885).
Shipped unmatted
