Benedetto Bordone, Venice 1528 ( or 1534 ):
[untitled double-page map of Cyprus] 43x16 cms. (map proper) on full untrimmed double page. Excellent. A flawless example.

Since Cyprus was under Venetian control from 1489 through 1571, it is not surprising that Venice played an important part in the history of early published maps of the island.

The first printed map of Cyprus was a small woodcut in the Isolario of Bartolomeo da Sonnetti, published in Venice in 1485. This work is sufficiently rare that most collectors will never be able to acquire it.

The next map, considerably larger, was that in the Libro di Benedetto Bordone of 1528, republished subsequently in the Isolario of Bordone. Examples of the latter are occasionally seen on the market, while examples of the former are found very seldom.

Price: CyP 2,800.00