Books

Zurich & New York: Besler and Johnson,. Folio atlas (620 by 460mm), 135pp., [2] leaves, full colour facsimile reproduction of the Vatican Codex Urb. Lat. 277., full blind tooled calf with gilt centrepiece, brass centre and corner pieces, leather clasps. Superb facsimile of Ptolemy's Cosmographia, published by the Vatican. The original manuscript was commissioned by the Duke of Urbino in 1472/3, and came into the Vatican Library in 1657. In 1983 the Vatican Library published 550 facsimiles; 500 of which were meant for sale and fifty - each marked with a Roman numeral I-L - to be kept by the Library, for use as state gifts. The present copy is marked with the Roman numerals 'VII'. One such example was presented by Pope Benedict XVI to Christian Wulff, the President of Germany, during his Apostolic visit to Germany, on the 22nd September 2011. The press release that accompanied the gift gives a general history of the work: "This facsimile reproduces the manuscript containing the…