LILY, George (fl.1528-1559) – Fernando BERTELLI(fl.1556-1572)
LILY, George (fl.1528-1559) – Fernando BERTELLI(fl.1556-1572)

Britania Insula quae duo Regna continet Angliam et Scotiam cum Hibernia adiacente. Ferando Berteli exc. 1561. Venice: 1562.

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LILY, George (fl.1528-1559) – Fernando BERTELLI(fl.1556-1572)
Britania Insula quae duo Regna continet Angliam et Scotiam cum Hibernia adiacente. Ferando Berteli exc. 1561. Venice: 1562.
Rare separate publication of one of the earliest printed maps of the British Isles. Although the British Isles had appeared in earlier Ptolemaic atlases, George Lily’s 16th-century cartography was original, and extremely clear and elegant, and became the model for a number of subsequent derivatives. Lily was an English catholic priest who lived in exile from 1532 to 1553 at the Papal court. His map was oriented with west at the top so that the island of Ireland appears at the top with the British Isles lying on its side. The first edition was engraved by Nicolas Beatrizet and published in Rome in 1546 (Shirley BI 41). The present Bertelli edition re-orients the British Isles to north, and the engraving is attributed to Paolo Forlani (fl.1560-1571). R. W. Shirley. Early printed Maps of the British Isles, 70.

Engraved map within latitude and longitude borders, north oriented to top, title in sea to north-west, two cartouches with explanatory text in Latin to west and east of Ireland and Britain respectively, both within frames, rivers, mountains and cities depicted, the latter with many toponyms, the sea stippled, 484 x 352mm (plate mark), framed.

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