A magnificent map of the North Atlantic Ocean that encompasses North America and the Caribbean, the Northern coast of South America, the the west coast of Europe and parts of the Western African  continent by one the greatest cartographers of the 17th Century, Vincenzo Coronelli.
The work of Coronelli is often deemed important not only for its stylistic virtuosity but also for its depiction of the world using the most up to date information. As such, Coronelli’s talent was first witnessed when he constructed a globe 5 feet in diameter for the Duke of Parma in 1678. This work would lead to his being commissioned by Louis XIV to construct a pair of globes in 1681. This commission would allow him access to important cartographic information from french explorers especially those concerning New France and North America in general. With the completion of these globes, Coronelli’s reputation was cemented, and demand grew for his work.
After his return from France, Coronelli founded the Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti, in 1684, the world’s first geographic society, whose function, it is said, was to promote his works.
This particular map of the North Atlantic is interesting as it makes reference to the Venetian Antonio Zeno’s discovery of the Labrador region in 1390 prior to all other discoveries in North America. This was based on a set of letters and a map published 1558 by one of Zeno’s descendant, which was later determined to be a hoax.