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A primary account of the discovery of the New World, indeed the first to describe it as such, Mundus Novus is the first printed account of Brazil, and Vespucci's first published work about his American voyages. A rare and important Americanum by the man after whom the Americas would be named, this epistolary work comprises the "first existing printed document about Brazil" (Borba). The letter to Vespucci's patron Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici describes his voyage along the coast of Brazil carried out in the service of King Emmanuel of Portugal between May 1501 and September 1502. This voyage under the Portuguese flag is of fundamental importance in the history of geographic discovery, convincing first Vespucci and then those who read his letter that the newly discovered lands were not part of Asia but a New World. In this sense, Vespucci was the first to proclaim the true significance of the Discovery. During this voyage Vespucci became the first European to see the Río de la Plata, and sailed along the coast of Patagonia, possibly reaching as far as 50 degrees south. Spending almost a month ashore, Vespucci met indigenous peoples, whom he described as naked cannibals wearing colorful ornaments in their perforated ears, noses, and lips. He also described houses, hammocks, customs, and eating habits, and detailed animals and plants, some of which he compared to those in the Old World, and others that were wholly new. Likewise, he observed that the very A primary account of the discovery of the New World, indeed the first to describe it as such, Mundus Novus is the first printed account of Brazil, and Vespucci's first published work about his American voyages. A rare and important Americanum by the man after whom the Americas would be named, this epistolary work comprises the "first existing printed document about Brazil" (Borba). The letter to Vespucci's patron Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici describes his voyage along the coast of Brazil carried out in the service of King Emmanuel of Portugal between May 1501 and September 1502. This voyage under the Portuguese flag is of fundamental importance in the history of geographic discovery, convincing first Vespucci and then those who read his letter that the newly discovered lands were not part of Asia but a New World. In this sense, Vespucci was the first to proclaim the true significance of the Discovery. During this voyage Vespucci became the first European to see the Río de la Plata, and sailed along the coast of Patagonia, possibly reaching as far as 50 degrees south. Spending almost a month ashore, Vespucci met indigenous peoples, whom he described as naked cannibals wearing colorful ornaments in their perforated ears, noses, and lips. He also described houses, hammocks, customs, and eating habits, and detailed animals and plants, some of which he compared to those in the Old World, and others that were wholly new. Likewise, he observed that the very sky of the Southern Hemisphere was different. Indeed, Vespucci was the first astronomer to measure the positions of the most important southern stars and his brief descriptions of them, together with his star diagrams, appear for the first time in this work. Vespucci (1454-1512), a Florentine merchant, first went to Barcelona in the employ of the Medicis in 1489, and to Seville in 1493. Probably involved in equipping the ships for Columbus' second voyage, Vespucci went on voyages in 1497 and 1499 under the Spanish flag, commissioned for his knowledge of astronomy and his navigational skills. Following the success of his third voyage, under Portuguese flag, in 1508 he was appointed as Spain's "piloto mayor" (chief navigator). "[T]he brilliant pamphlets that circulated about his adventures in the West made him the reputation that his voyaging could not" (Grafton, p. 83). While none of the early editions bear imprints, Sabin, European Americana, and Borba consider this to be the fourth Latin edition, reprinted from the second issue of the second edition (Venice). The type was identified by Dr Joseph Martini as being "the same as [that] used by Silber in the letter of Columbus (1493)." The Mundus novus was republished throughout Europe with the rapidity of a news sheet, appearing at least 12 times during Vespucci's lifetime in Latin, several times in German and French, as well as once in both Dutch and Czech. "The alterations of text made in this edition, combined with the alterations of the Venice edition, served as the basis of all the later Latin editions printed at Nuremberg, Strassburg, Rostock, Cologne, Antwerp, and Paris. It was the first to appear without a separate title page, the words Mundus nouus being placed at the head of the first page. The spelling of Vesputius with a 't' was adopted for the first time...and the triangle was moved from its right position under the eighth paragraph [to the verso of the final leaf] under Lavs Deo. Typographically it is a fine piece of printing, and with few word contractions" (Wilberforce Eames in Sabin). "A pamphlet that enjoyed such great success in the 16th century, that was reprinted so frequently, commented upon and analyzed, that was and still is the object of a centuries old polemic, could not but be of enormous bibliographical interest. To this must be added the fact that any of the editions or translations are very rare, dated or undated. It has been avidly sought after by bibliophiles for more than a century and a greater part of the copies are already in public libraries" (Borba de Moraes). This is an unusual copy for being extensively annotated in Latin in a 16th-century hand. Discovery Americana of this rank rarely contains any evidence of contemporary or near-contemporary reception or context. The annotations have faded from washing, but they can be read under close inspection. On the first page, the reader notes that Vespucci came from Florence ("Florentinus" appears above Vespucci's name in the salutation) and in the cropped note above the text he sets Vespucci's work into a chain of discussions that begins with Pierre d'Ailly, whom Columbus famously read. References to other authors in the annotations include several mentions of Peter Martyr as well as astronomer Johannes Schöner. Several of the manuscript annotations would seem to suggest that the early reader had access to maps of the world depicting America. For example, he names Vespucci's reference to the "angle of land" as "promontorium sanctae Crucis," perhaps referring to the name given to South America in the map of the world on Benedetto Bordon's oval projection contained in the isolario of Bartolomeo Dall Sonetti. Recording in the margin next to Vespucci's description of the nakedness of the indigenous inhabitants, he writes: "Nudi. quia sub torrida zona"; i.e. "Naked, because [they are] under the torrid zone." A lengthy annotation at the rear espouses the Ptolemaic relationship between geographic location and skin color: "Quaecumque igitur gentes subiacent Zodiaco, praeterquam in Sphaera armillari, iis sol sit supra verticem a Borea descendens ad austrum, ascendensque similiter, et aliis quidem semel in anno, aliis vero bis. Sunt autem omnes pariter qui sub Zodiaco habitant ab occasu ad ortum solis usque nigri, coloribus Aethiopes, et praecipue hi qui sub circulo aequinoctiali habitant, ii admodum nigrescunt. Qui autem extra lineam perpendicularem Zodiaci degunt remissiores sunt colore, et in albedinem tendunt, secundum distantiae rationem, usque ad Sarmatas Hyperboreos. Eadem est ratio Zodiaci ab utraque parte equinoctialis, et Boream versus et Austrum, usque ad utrosque polos." Translates as: "Whichever nations, then, are subject to the Zodiac, except those who are girdled in the Sphere, for them the sun is above the summit descending from Borea to the south, and rising in the same way, and for some once a year, but for others twice. Now all those who live under the Zodiac from sunset to sunrise are black in color, Ethiopians, and especially those who live under the equatorial circle are very black. But those who live outside the perpendicular line of the Zodiac are lighter in color, and tend towards whiteness, according to the distance, as far as the Sarmatians and the Hyperboreans. The system of the Zodiac is the same on both sides of the equator, and towards Borea and the South, as far as both poles." Many other annotations are worthy of further research. A foundational Americanum, announcing the discovery of the New World, and an outstanding rarity. READ MORE Small quarto (190 x 136 mm): 4 leaves, unnumbered. With 2 woodcut initials, 2 schematic representations of constellations, woodcut diagram. Bound in modern black crushed morocco, ruled in blind, spine with raised bands. Housed in a custom half morocco and cloth clamshell case, spine gilt. [4] leaves. 2 woodcut initials & 2 schematic representations of constellations and a woodcut diagram. Extensive near contemporary marginalia, significantly faded (see note); discreet posthumous book label of R. David Parsons (1939-2014). Washed. First letter mis-inked in "[c]ognitione" on recto of leaf A2. Borba de Moraes pp. 904-09; Brunet V.1154, Suppl. II.873; Church 17; European Americana 504/8; Harrisse (BAV) 23; JCB (3) I, p. 40; Medina (BHA) 22; Sabin 99331; Warner, Sky Explored, p. 225. See also Robert Wallisch Der 'Mundus Novus' des Amerigo Vespucc

"Mundus Novus," or "New World," is a letter published in 1503 or 1504, attributed to the Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci. This essay aims to delve into the content, historical significance, and contemporary impact of this pivotal document, which contributed to the naming of the Americas and shaped the European understanding of the newly discovered lands. "Mundus Novus" is a vivid account of Vespucci's voyages to the New World, particularly focusing on his explorations of the coast of South America during his expeditions between 1499 and 1502. The letter is addressed to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, a prominent figure in the Florentine government and a patron of Vespucci, and it describes the lands, peoples, flora, and fauna encountered during his journeys. Vespucci's descriptions are notable for their detail and wonder, reflecting the astonishment of Europeans encountering the New World for the first time. He talks about the vast resources, the diversity of wildlife, and the different societies he met, painting a picture of a rich, vibrant continent vastly different from the European or Asian landscapes known to his contemporaries. The historical significance of "Mundus Novus" lies in its role in introducing Europe to the concept of the Americas as new continents, separate from Asia as previously thought. Prior to Vespucci's voyages and his subsequent letters, most European geographers believed that the lands discovered by Columbus and other explorers were part of Asia's eastern extremities. Vespucci's observations and arguments provided evidence that these lands were part of a previously unknown continent, leading to a paradigm shift in the geographical understanding of the time. Furthermore, the popularity of "Mundus Novus" among European readers helped to disseminate knowledge about the New World. The letter was translated into several languages and published across Europe, capturing the imagination of a continent eager for knowledge about distant lands. It played a crucial role in shaping European perceptions of the Americas, influencing not just geographical knowledge but also feeding into the era's spirit of exploration and conquest. The most enduring impact of "Mundus Novus" is undoubtedly its contribution to the naming of the Americas. The German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, influenced by Vespucci's accounts, named the new continents "America" in honor of Amerigo Vespucci on his world map of 1507. This designation, initially applied only to South America, eventually extended to include both the North and South American continents. In contemporary times, "Mundus Novus" continues to be a subject of scholarly interest and debate. Historians and geographers study the letter not just for its historical content but also for its insights into the early interactions between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of the Americas. These interactions, marked by curiosity, wonder, and, tragically, the beginning of centuries of exploitation and colonization, are crucial for understanding the complex history of the Americas.