La, Grece, ou Partie Meridional de L’Empire des Turcs en Europe

Scarce map of Greece highlighting the territorial expanse of the Ottoman Empire and it’s threat to European stability.

This map of southern Greece was issued in Paris in 1677 by Pierre Du Val. It shows the extent of the territorial acquisitions of the Ottoman Empire in southeastern Europe, including the conquest of Crete that took place in 1669. Galleys and sailing ships follow the various trade routes through the region, a vast source of wealth for the infidel invaders. The Gulf of Venice in the upper left highlights the Ottoman’s proximity to the European kingdoms (Hapsburg, Venice, Russia and Poland-Lithuania) that would eventually unite and roll back Turkish control in the Great Turkish War of 1683.

Pierre Du Val was nephew to the famous French cartographer Nicholas Bellin, and issued this map in his role as Geographer Ordinaire to the King of France (both Sanson and Du Val were royal geographers). In addition to mapmaking, Du Val was also interested in historical etymology. This is reflected in the early index of ancient and modern place names he included on the border of this map, as well as the numerous geographic dictionaries he produced throughout his lifetime.