This important, and scarce map focuses on the Rio Grande river valley, an area that was little known due to the secrecy and the obscurity of the region within the Spanish colonial empire. The great river is depicted with two names; the northern portion is the Rio del Norte, and below el Passo it is labeled the Rio Bravo. There are numerous place names along the Rio del Norte section and various Indian pueblos are located throughout the region. A notation where the river bends to the east says that the river empties into the Gulf of Mexico and not the Gulf of California (an error shown on most contemporary maps). Santa Fe is correctly depicted on the east side of the river. A number of annotations discuss the various provinces, mining, early Spanish explorations, and Native Americans. The map extends west to include the mythical Lago de Oro (golden lake), the Mer de Californie, and the island of California. A notation on California questions its insularity.

This significant map resulted from the collaboration between Vincenzo Coronelli, Jean Baptiste Nolin, and Jean Nicolas du Tralage (Sr. Tilleman). It was drawn from a manuscript map by Diego Penalosa, a former governor of New Mexico that was exiled in Paris where Coronelli gained access to the map. According to Burden, "this beautiful map is the most momentous map of the American south-west published to date and would remain seminal for decades to come." It is an essential map for Southwest map collections. This is the first state with the date in the cartouche, 168, missing the last numeral.

References: Burden #631; Cohen, pp.43-45; Lowery #177; Wheat [TMW] #66

Condition: A

Fine impression with original outline color. There are a couple faint spots within the map, still overall very good. The bottom margin has been extended, evidently for inclusion in a composite atlas, as the original margin is very ample.