A Spanish Rarity of the Bishoprick of Cartagena and Kingdom of Murcia

A very rare engraved map of the Murcia region in southeastern Spain.

Oriented with west at the top, the map shows the diocese of Cartagena with the Mediterranean coast from Vera, Aguilas via Cartagena, Los Alcázares up to Valencia. In the southwest to Baza in the province of Granada and in the northwest up to Tomelloso.

The map utilzes symbolt to indicate the limits of the bishopric and kingdom; the orchard of Murcia, the countryside of Murcia, roads, bridges, cities with cathedrals, colleges, parishes, villas, villages, convents, etc.

The coat of arms of the Bishop of Cartagena Luis Antonio Belluga y Moncada, appears at the top left, with a cartouche describing the history of the diocese up to 1724 below ...Ano 1724 Primero del Reyna. do. del S. D.n Luis pri.o de Borboun, Rey de las Españas. Above the royal coat of arms with crown, carried by two angels with trumpets. Below are horses with tails of dragons and several ships on the Mediterranean Sea.

On the right side a cornucopia cartouche includes explanatory notes on the bishopric: boundaries, royal roads, bridges and conventional signs for cities, parishes and villages.

Rarity

The map is extremely rare, especially in full original color, of which this is perhaps the only surviving example. We are advised that copies are held by the following institutional collections:

• - Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, Spain
• - Biblioteca Nacional de España
• - Bibliothèque Nationale de France
• - British Library