Atlases and ancient books

Atlases and ancient books of the Museum of Geography of Padua, an ever-growing treasure

The collection of atlases and ancient books is an extraordinary treasure, born from the passion and dedication of those who, over the years, have created, curated, and maintained the Geography Library of the University of Padua. This heritage continues to grow thanks to the volumes donated by passionate collectors who choose to share their treasures so that, through the museum, we can all become heirs.

The original collection includes about 80 volumes dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Lovisa edition (Venice, 1724) of the “Theater of the World” by Abraham Ortelius, the first modern atlas. Among the historical pieces are also the atlas by Santini (Venice, 1776), the four volumes by Antonio Zatta (Venice, 1785) and the “Atlas of Universal Geography” by Naymiller and Allodi (1867), whose fascinating comparative plates are visible along the staircase to the museum. These precious documents are accessible and downloadable in high resolution at the following link: Theater of the World

Thanks to the generous donation of Armando Morbiato, the collection has also been enriched with an exceptional group of books published between 1493 and 1938. Among these, masterpieces such as the “Nuremberg Chronicles” by Hartman Schedel, the most richly illustrated book of the XV century, the “Cosmography” by Sebastian Münster, with its precious set of sixteenth-century maps, the “Geography” by Ptolemy edited by Antonio Magini in the 1616 edition, a Dutch edition of “Mundus Subterraneus” by Athanasius Kircher dated 1682, and the original edition of the small nautical atlas “Recueil des Principaux Plans des Portes” by Joseph Roux (1764) stand out.

The collection of ancient books can be consulted by appointment, contacting the staff of the  Museum of Geography or the Ca’ Borin Library.

The collection of atlases and ancient books tells a unique story and opens a window on centuries of geographical imagination: take advantage of events where books are exhibited to the public! Stay informed by subscribing to the newsletter or following the social channels of the museum.