Portugalliae quae Olim Lusitania Novissima et Exactissima descriptio

Title

Portugalliae quae Olim Lusitania Novissima et Exactissima descriptio

Map shows the whole of Portugal, Andalusia, a title cartouche and a sailing ship. From "Theatro del Mondo", Italian text on the back, p. 29.

ca. 1667

Artist

Marchetti (1565-1615)

Marchetti Pietro Maria 1565 - 1615. The second epitome of Abraham Ortelius’ folio Theatrum was produced in Italy by Pietro Maria Marchetti and the 109 new maps, by an unknown engraver, are accompanied by Italian text. The plates are close imitations of those of Philip Galle (see 1577 and 1583), likely the 1593 edition with Italian text.

Historical Description

Portugal is the oldest state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe, its territory having been continuously settled, invaded and fought over since prehistoric times. The pre-Celtic people, Celts, Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global empire, becoming one of the world's major economic, political and military powers. During this period, today referred to as the Age of Discovery, Portuguese explorers pioneered maritime exploration, notably under royal patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator and King John II, with such notable voyages as Bartolomeu Dias' sailing beyond the Cape of Good Hope (1488), Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India (1497–98) and the European discovery of Brazil (1500). During this time Portugal monopolized the spice trade, divided the world into hemispheres of dominion with Castille, and the empire expanded with military campaigns in Asia. However, events such as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the country's occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, the independence of Brazil (1822), and a late industrialization compared to other European powers, erased to a great extent Portugal's prior opulence.