De Orbis Situ Libri Tres.

The oldest surviving geographical text written in Latin.

Pomponius Mela is considered an accurate sum of the European geographical knowledge before the discovery of the New World. De orbis situ libri tres dates from the first century A.D, and was first printed in 1471.

Mela's descriptions of Africa were used by the Portuguese sailors navigating the waters of the Atlantic for the first time.

Hardcover. Fine. With commentary by Ioachimi Vadiani. Illustrated with elaborate woodcut title page and woodcut initials. 4to. Bound in modern brown leather, spine with 5 raised bands, gilt letters, gilt decorations. Basel 1522. First Edition with the Vadianus Appendix.

Mela's text (printed in Roman) is surrounded by extensive commentary in italic by Joachim Vadianus. The volume ends with an appendix, Loca aliquot ex Vadiani commentarijs summatim repetita, & obiter explicata, consisting of Vadianus study of Melas work and attempting to address inconsistencies and problems in it.


Additionally the appendix, has a coda consisting of a 1515 letter from Vadianus to Rudolph Agricola, the Younger, which briefly discusses Vespucci and the New World when discussing the Spanish empire. Lacking the folded map, found in only a few copies. (Whether all copies of the work were issued with a map has been long discussed and is without resolution: What we do know is that some have a map, most do not.) Harrisse, BAV, 157; Renouard, Paris, 2210; Alden & Landis 530/30; Sabin 63958 (not calling for a map); Graesse, V, 401 (not calling for a map).


Bookplate on front pastedown; title page darkened; a few pinholes, not affecting text; o/w a lovely, clean copy. Fine.