Coronelli - Epitome Cosmografica - 1693

CELESTIAL SPHERES, MOVING WORLDS, AND SECRETS OF THE ARGONAUTS: THE MAGICAL ATLAS OF CORONELLI FIRST EDITION The precious double-page plate with 6 movable parts (volvelles) is present and perfectly preserved. Secret relations between the planets and the waters of the globe, scientific knowledge transmuted into initiatory knowledge. Vincenzo Coronelli’s Epitome cosmografica is not merely a treatise: it is a key to penetrating the hidden order of the universe, a grimoire of sacred astronomy and occult geography. This very rare 1693 exemplar, born from the legendary public lectures of the “cosmographer of the Serenissima,” guides the reader through armillary spheres, celestial globes, and animated planispheres—instruments conceived not only to measure the world but to reveal its invisible mechanisms. The six-part table is a mechanical oracle, an alchemical device to visualize the motion of the stars and the harmony of the cosmos. Coronelli, initiator and founder of the Academy of the Argonauts, shapes in this work a magical atlas, worthy of the solar courts and the esoteric libraries of Europe’s Baroque era. MARKET VALUE An absolute masterpiece of pre-Enlightenment cosmography, this work is valued today not only for its scientific importance but for its value as a mystical and symbolic object. A similar specimen recently appeared on the market at 7,800 USD. Its condition, together with the presence of movable parts, usually missing, further enhances its collectible allure. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION The precious double-page plate with 6 movable parts (volvelles) is present and perfectly preserved. Full parchment binding of a later, reused state. Two title pages, one of them illustrated. Pp. [44], 420 + 31 woodcut plates. Some stains on the last pages, copy in barbe, pages clean and bright, inks vibrant. FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR Vincenzo Maria Coronelli Epitome cosmografica, o compendiosa introduttione all'astronomia, geografia, & idrografia, per l'uso, dilucidatione, e fabbrica delle sfere, globi, planisferi, astrolabj e Tavole geografiche e particolarmente degli stampati, e spiegati nelle publiche lezioni dal p. maestro Vincenzo Coronelli M.C. cosmografo della Serenissima Republica di Venetia, e lettore di geografia. per l'Accademia degli Argonauti Colonia, ad istanza di Andrea Poletti, 1693 CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE This secret and monumental work is the first systematic attempt to fuse astronomy, geography, and hydrography into an harmonious synthesis, capable of reflecting the order of creation. The knowledge Coronelli transmits is not only technical but spiritual: he who learns to make an astrolabe also learns to read the divine design in the firmament. Each illustrated instrument is a talisman of precision and contemplation, each plate a portal between the visible world and the invisible. The Epitome anticipates the Enlightenment encyclopedic vision, yet it preserves its magical, Pythagorean, and Hermetic roots. "Epitome cosmografica, o compendiosa introduttzione all'astronomia, geografia & idrografia" is a work published in 1693, which synthesizes astronomy, geography, and hydrography in a practical way, with the aim of facilitating the use of spheres, globes, and other tools for geographic representation. The work is especially designed to be used in public lectures and for the construction of these instruments. The work is structured in three books: First book: Treats astronomy and the use of the compass. Second book: Focuses on terrestrial geography and natural phenomena. Third book: Describes globes, armillary spheres, and astrolabes. In substance, the "Epitome cosmografica" is a reference work for cosmography, aiming to condense astronomical, geographical, and hydrographic knowledge into a practical, easily consultable volume, useful for teaching and for the construction of geographic instruments such as spheres, globes, and astrolabes. BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650–1718), a Venetian friar, cosmographer of the Serenissima, tireless traveler and creator of globes. Master engraver and mathematician, he published fundamental treatises on geography, astronomy, and cartography, earning European fame. He is responsible for the invention of scientific and educational instruments of extraordinary precision, conceived as spiritual tools for interpreting the harmony of the universe. PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION Printed in 1693 in Cologne for Andrea Poletti, the work circulated among cultural and scientific elites, but in extremely limited copies. Rare and incomplete in most surviving copies, it is today housed in a few private and institutional collections. The movable plates and original diagrams give each exemplar a unique, ritual aura. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES European Americana 693/50 Houzeau & Lancaster 8006 Riccardi I, 374–375 Bibliothèque nationale de France, Fonds Coronelli Catalogues: Librairie Le Bail, Daniel Crouch Rare Books, Martayan La

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