The Gennadius Library is pleased to announce the acquisition of an exceptionally rare eighteenth-century nautical atlas of the Mediterranean, made possible through the generous support of the Overseers of the Gennadeion.

Published in Marseille by François Berthelot around 1720–1730, this large folio atlas preserves four double-page engraved nautical charts depicting the Mediterranean and its approaches. Bound in contemporary vellum-backed boards, reinforced with light brown leather at the head and foot of the spine, it is a remarkable survival of one of the most important French hydrographic works of the early eighteenth century.

The atlas opens with the Nouvelle carte de partie des cotes de terre Ferme et isles situées sur l'océan, illustrating the approaches to the Mediterranean from the Atlantic, including the coasts of Portugal, Spain, France, the British Isles, and north-west Africa, together with the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Two adjoining charts, entitled Carte des Cotes de la Mediterranée, provide a detailed survey of the western and eastern Mediterranean, while the final chart, Carte de l'Archipel, focuses on the Aegean Sea, offering particularly detailed coverage of the Greek archipelago and the western coast of Asia Minor.

                                                             

                                       

Little is known about François Berthelot beyond what can be gleaned from his publications. Described on his charts as a cartographer, hydrographer, and professor, he belonged to a group of French hydrographers who produced increasingly accurate and reliable charts of the Mediterranean at the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century. His nautical charts, first published in 1693, continued to be revised and reissued until the 1750s, becoming standard navigational references for French mariners. Although many editions are undated, specialists can distinguish successive issues through variations in the engraved cartouches; the present example is generally assigned to the 1720s. Berthelot also published a treatise on navigation in 1691.

Maps by Berthelot are exceptionally scarce, both on the market and in institutional collections, undoubtedly because they were intended for practical use at sea. Complete examples of the atlas survive in only a handful of libraries worldwide, making this acquisition an important addition to the Gennadius Library's internationally renowned cartographic collections and a valuable resource for the study of Mediterranean navigation, commerce, and geographical knowledge in the early modern period.

References: WorldCat 21023723; Zacharakis 215–216.

Bibliographic and historical information in this note is indebted to the detailed description kindly provided by Laurens Hesselink, Antiquariaat FORUM & ASHER Rare Books.