Vincenzo Coronelli
Encyclopedia
Vincenzo Coronelli was a Franciscan
monk
, a Venetian
cosmographer, cartographer, publisher, and encyclopedist known in particular for his atlas
es and globe
s, and who spent most of his life in Venice
.
tailor named Maffio Coronelli. At ten, young Vincenzo was sent to the city of Ravenna
and was apprenticed to a xylographer. In 1663 he was accepted into the Conventual Franciscans
, becoming a novice
in 1665. At age sixteen he published the first of his one hundred forty separate works. In 1671 he entered the Convent of Saint Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, and in 1672 Coronelli was sent by the order to the College of Saint Bonaventura and Saints Apostoli in Rome
where he earned his doctor’s degree in theology
in 1674. He excelled in the study of both astronomy
and Euclid
. A little before 1678, Coronelli began working as a geographer
and was commissioned to make a set of terrestrial and celestial globe
s for Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma
. Each finely crafted globe was five feet in diameter (c. 175cm) and so impressed the Duke that he made Coronelli his theologian. Coronelli's renown as a theologian grew and in 1699 he was appointed Father General of the Franciscan order.
, friend and adviser to Louis XIV and ambassador to Rome, saw the Duke of Parma’s globes and invited Coronelli to Paris in 1681 to construct a pair of globes for the Most Christian King. Coronelli moved to the French capital in 1681, where he lived for two years. Each globe was composed of spindles of bent timber about ten feet long and four inches broad at the equator. This wood was then coated with a layer of plaster about an inch thick and covered in a layer of strong unfinished fabric. This was then wrapped in a quarter-inch layer of two very fine fabrics which provided backing for the painted information of the globes. These globes, measuring 384cm in diameter and weighing approximately 2 tons, are displayed in the Bibliothèque nationale François Mitterrand
in Paris. The globes depicted the latest information of French explorations in North America, particularly the expeditions of René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
.
in 1705. In Venice he started his own cosmographical project and published the volumes of Atlante Veneto
. In his home city he founded the very first geographical society, the Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti. He also held the position of Cosmographer of the Republic of Venice. Later six volumes of the Biblioteca Universale Sacro-Profana
were published by Coronelli. This was a kind of encyclopedia
, its compiled entries were ordered alphabetically.
Coronelli died at the age of 68 in Venice, having created hundreds of maps in his lifetime. Original globes by Coronelli are today located in several collections. Pairs of his most famous large (c. 110 cm diameter) globes are e.g. in the Biblioteca Marciana
in Venice, in the National Library of Austria and in the Globe Museum
in Vienna, in the library of Stift Melk, as well as in Trier
, Prague
, Paris
, London
, Washington D.C.. Having been restored and completed, another 1688 terrestrial globe is displayed at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library of Texas Tech University
in Lubbock, Texas
. The Ransom Center at The University of Texas in Austin has a pair of Coronelli globes both the 1688 Terrestrial and the Celestial (n.d.).
The International Coronelli Society for the Study of Globes, founded 1952 in Vienna, is named in Coronelli's honor.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, a Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
cosmographer, cartographer, publisher, and encyclopedist known in particular for his atlas
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets in the Solar System. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats...
es and globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
s, and who spent most of his life in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
Biography
Vincenzo Coronelli was born, probably in Venice, August 15, 1650, the fifth child of a VenetianRepublic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
tailor named Maffio Coronelli. At ten, young Vincenzo was sent to the city of Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
and was apprenticed to a xylographer. In 1663 he was accepted into the Conventual Franciscans
Conventual Franciscans
The Order of Friars Minor Conventual , commonly known as the Conventual Franciscans, is a branch of the order of Catholic Friars founded by Francis of Assisi in 1209.-History:...
, becoming a novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
in 1665. At age sixteen he published the first of his one hundred forty separate works. In 1671 he entered the Convent of Saint Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, and in 1672 Coronelli was sent by the order to the College of Saint Bonaventura and Saints Apostoli in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where he earned his doctor’s degree in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in 1674. He excelled in the study of both astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and Euclid
Euclid
Euclid , fl. 300 BC, also known as Euclid of Alexandria, was a Greek mathematician, often referred to as the "Father of Geometry". He was active in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy I...
. A little before 1678, Coronelli began working as a geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
and was commissioned to make a set of terrestrial and celestial globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
s for Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma
Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma
Ranuccio II Farnese was the sixth Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1646 until his death nearly 50 years later.-Birth and Succession:...
. Each finely crafted globe was five feet in diameter (c. 175cm) and so impressed the Duke that he made Coronelli his theologian. Coronelli's renown as a theologian grew and in 1699 he was appointed Father General of the Franciscan order.
Globes for Louis XIV
Cardinal César d'EstréesCésar d'Estrées
César d'Estrées was a French diplomat and Cardinal.He was the son of Marshal François Annibal d'Estrées, and brother of Marshal Jean II d'Estrées....
, friend and adviser to Louis XIV and ambassador to Rome, saw the Duke of Parma’s globes and invited Coronelli to Paris in 1681 to construct a pair of globes for the Most Christian King. Coronelli moved to the French capital in 1681, where he lived for two years. Each globe was composed of spindles of bent timber about ten feet long and four inches broad at the equator. This wood was then coated with a layer of plaster about an inch thick and covered in a layer of strong unfinished fabric. This was then wrapped in a quarter-inch layer of two very fine fabrics which provided backing for the painted information of the globes. These globes, measuring 384cm in diameter and weighing approximately 2 tons, are displayed in the Bibliothèque nationale François Mitterrand
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
in Paris. The globes depicted the latest information of French explorations in North America, particularly the expeditions of René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle was a French explorer. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico...
.
Later life
Due to his renown he worked in various European countries in the following years, permanently returning to VeniceVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1705. In Venice he started his own cosmographical project and published the volumes of Atlante Veneto
Atlante Veneto
Atlante Veneto , was a comprehensive atlas published by the Jesuit geographer Vincenzo Maria Coronelli and intended as a continuation of the Blaeu Atlas Maior. This monumental work was published in thirteen folios and provided a wealth of detail covering ancient and modern cartographers and...
. In his home city he founded the very first geographical society, the Accademia Cosmografica degli Argonauti. He also held the position of Cosmographer of the Republic of Venice. Later six volumes of the Biblioteca Universale Sacro-Profana
Biblioteca Universale Sacro-Profana
The Biblioteca Universale Sacro-Profana is an encyclopedia from the early 18th century, published in Italy by Vincenzo Coronelli. It is said to be one of the first encyclopedias written alphabetically. It was published in 45 volumes with over 300,000 entries. Biblioteca universale bibliophilic...
were published by Coronelli. This was a kind of encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
, its compiled entries were ordered alphabetically.
Coronelli died at the age of 68 in Venice, having created hundreds of maps in his lifetime. Original globes by Coronelli are today located in several collections. Pairs of his most famous large (c. 110 cm diameter) globes are e.g. in the Biblioteca Marciana
Biblioteca Marciana
The Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana is a library and Renaissance building in Venice, northern Italy; it is one of the earliest surviving public manuscript depositories in the country, holding one of the greatest classical texts collections in the world. The library is named after St. Mark, the...
in Venice, in the National Library of Austria and in the Globe Museum
Globe Museum
The Globe Museum , in the Palais Mollard, Vienna, Austria, is part of the Austrian National Library. It was opened in 1956, and is the only public museum in the world devoted to globes, being three-dimensional models of Earth or other celestial bodies, or spherical representations of the celestial...
in Vienna, in the library of Stift Melk, as well as in Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Washington D.C.. Having been restored and completed, another 1688 terrestrial globe is displayed at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library of Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. The Ransom Center at The University of Texas in Austin has a pair of Coronelli globes both the 1688 Terrestrial and the Celestial (n.d.).
The International Coronelli Society for the Study of Globes, founded 1952 in Vienna, is named in Coronelli's honor.
Selected maps
- 1690-91 Atlante VenetoAtlante VenetoAtlante Veneto , was a comprehensive atlas published by the Jesuit geographer Vincenzo Maria Coronelli and intended as a continuation of the Blaeu Atlas Maior. This monumental work was published in thirteen folios and provided a wealth of detail covering ancient and modern cartographers and...
- 1696-97 Isolario dell' Atlante Veneto
- 1692 Corso geografico universale
- 1695 Re-issued
- 1693 Epitome Cosmografica
- 1693 Libro dei Globi
- 1701 Re-issued
- 1695 World Map
- 1696 Pacific Ocean
Partial bibliography
- Morea, Negroponte & Adiacenze (1686).
- Atlante Veneto (1691 - 1696).
- Ritratti de celebri Personaggi (1697).
- Lo Specchio del Mare (1698).
- Singolarità di Venezia (1708-1709).
- Roma antico-moderna (1716).
External links
- Les globes du Roi Soleil, exposition de la BNF
- Hall des Globes (bibliothèque nationale de France)
- List of the works of Vincenzo Coronelli (1650-1718) at the Marciana National Library, Venice
- Picture of one of Coronelli's maps of the Kodon fortress, Greece, excellent quality
- Reconstructions of the globes of Vincenzo Coronelli
- Original technology 42 " diam. Coronelli globe
- Pictures of facsimiles of Coronelli's 1688 & 1693 terrestrial and celestial globes
- Six plates from Coronelli's Epirome cosmografica of 1693: facsimiles of his only flat printed maps, at Linda Hall Library.
- High resolution 3D visualization of the Louis XIV globes made by the C2RMF