Description

EXTREMELY RARE 3-volume set! VOL I is in 6th edition, VOL II is in 1st edition, and VOL III is in 3rd edition.

The first printed report of the circumnavigation was a letter written by Maximilianus Transylvanus who interviewed survivors in 1522 and published his account in 1523. Both, Antonio Pigafetta’s Journal and Transylvanus’ extensive letter are reproduced and analysed in VOL. 1 of this most extensive contemporary travel compilation. It also contains 3 copper engraved maps: India, Africa, and the Birth Certificate of the Philippines, the so-called upsidedown map “Terza Tavola” by Ramusio after Giacomo Gastaldi who was the first to place “Filipina1485-1557)” on a map.
These had not been included in the first edition. The Terza Tavola was particularly important: as Gastaldi not only used Pigafetta’s account of Magellan’s journey, but it also benefited from new sources, like Juan Gaytan and Villalobos’ journey from Mexico to the Philippines.

Abbreviated description: [Complete Descriptions upon Request].
3 volumes in folio, 324x220mm; all 3 bindings in full uniform vellum, gold title on the spines with 5 bands.

Vol. I, 1613, cc. [38], 394, i.e. 395, 1 blank card, numbering errors, repeated numbering 161, 3 out of text cards, 11 woodcuts of various sizes in the text including the sources of the Nile and the plans of the churches of Golgota and San Salvatore full-page and others in the text, including “maize” page 385 and the famous 3 double-page copper engraved maps including the “Birth Certificate of the Philippines” – the upsidedown map.

Vol. II, 1559, cc. [2], 28 155, [1, with Register, Colophon and Printing Mark], 1 woodcut in the text.

Vol. III, 1606, cc. [6], 36, 430 [i.e. 414], numerous illustrations printed in woodcut including 3 full page and 7 double-page maps depicting Cuzco, New France, Newfoundland, Brazil, West Africa, Sumatra, Montreal and the New World; three text woodcuts with the “Hispanola” (map 44), the Temistitan Tower (map 307) and the plan of Mexico City (map 308v).

A total of 62 woodcut illustrations, including 10 double-page maps, all engraved by or after Giacomo Gastaldi.

The First Volume also contains the Report of the discovery of Japan.

The Second Volume contains the critical edition of Marco Polo’s work, established by Ramusio by comparing several manuscripts.

The third volume is entirely dedicated to the Americas as it contains Jacques Cartier’s accounts of his famous trips to the New World of 1534 and 1535: he coined the name Canada and was the first European to penetrate the North American continent from the east. [complete description available upon request]

Condition

all 3 bindings in full uniform vellum, gold title on the spines with 5 bands, renewed endpapers, ex-libris pasted inner front cover, excellent condition.