L'America Settentrionale

An incredibly striking map of North America with California as an Island. This map is based upon Guillaume Sanson's map of 1669. This is the third state of Rossi's map which was published circa 1714 despite being dated 1687. This example has very wide margins and 3 embossed stamped markings; one just outside of the lower left neatline and two just outside of the lower right neatline. The lettering spells Calcografia Camerale, which is the marking of the Papel printing and publishing department which produced prints from Rossi's plates when they acquired them. Founded by Pope Benedict XIV in 1738. This suggests of course that this present example is actually circa 1738.

From Burden (491):
"A third state was introduced with much new cartography. The most westerly of the Great Lakes are now closed and new information is introduced in western Canada. This appears to be derived from Baron de Lahontan's landmark Carte Generale de Canada of 1703, despite being distorted by pivoting Lago des Assinibouels out to the west. The Mississippi River is depicted in its popular form of the day flowing westward and emptying into the Gulf of Mexico in modern day Texas. The Rio del Nort changes course and flows eastwards into the Gulf of Mexico. A new Stretto d'Anien is placed north of California leading north-easterly insinuating a North West Passage outlet. Despite all of this the east coast is still lodged in the relative dark ages. There is no mention of the English colony of Carolina, or even for that matter New York, which is still identified as being Dutch. None of the new colonies is named. Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi was succeeded by Domenico who continued the business until c. 1720, when he was followed by Lorenzo Filippo who survived to 1738. In that year, the whole business stock was sold to the government of the Papal States. Examples of the atlas have been noted with maps dated as late as 1714."