This uncommon first Roman edition of Buffier's gazetteer was published in Rome by Venanzio Monaldini. It contains 18 folding maps, including a double hemisphere mappamondo, and the map of America both showing an insular California. America Settentrionale has a large Mare d'Ouest, or Sea of the West opening to the Pacific and is attributed to the purported discoveries of the fictional explorer Bartholemew de Fonte, here named "Fuentes" in 1640. Another note in Eastern Russia describes the expedition of Lt. Spanberg in 1728. Additional plates include a nicely engraved frontispiece, an armillary sphere and a decorative title page. Complete. 456 pages of text and a 60 page appendix. 18 mo. Original hardbound in leather with decorative gilt flourishes on both covers and spine.

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Condition: B

Text pages and maps are foxed, and some have minor damp staining at top. The first 10-15 pages have a dark stain along the outer edge that has caused a fold split with some loss to the armillary sphere plate. A few maps have short edge tears and some extraneous creases. Covers are rubbed and a bit soiled, corners are bumped. Spine has some cracking and some insect damage with loss at both ends. Front cover is mostly detached, as is spine. Binding is mostly good with only a few signatures starting to separate.