This large wall map of the course of the River Danube from Vienna to the town of present day Nikopol in Bulgaria. The six sheets comprise a very large-scale map with detailed coverage of the region. It takes in modern day Hungary, southern Romania, much of Bulgaria, former Yugoslavia and the Dalmatian coast. Numerous regional coats of arms appear on the map which has a large decorative title cartouche with the imprint of the renowned Venetian mapmaker Coronelli.

Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650-1718) was a Franciscan Friar and the founder of the first Geographical Society. He was an active cartographer, cosmographer, globe maker, author, inventor and engineer, and teacher. Born in Ravenna in 1650 at the age of 15 he entered the Franciscan Order in which he would become Gran Generale in 1699. As he became more interested in cartography he developed an extensive correspondence network around Europe. In 1681 he famously went to Paris to produce 2 four metre globes for Louis XIV which still survive to this day. In 1685 he was made Cosmographer to the Venetian Republic and began teaching geography founding the ‘Academia Cosmographica degli Argonauti’ in 1688, the world’s first geographical society. He single handedly brought back Italy’s reputation in the field of cartography. His style of engraving is very distinctive and displays detail without being too busy, it is very attractive to the eye. Arguably his most famous publication was the ‘Atlante Veneto’ in 1691 from which this map is taken. Shirley (2004) T.Coro 7a nos. 31-36.