This extremely early & important original antique map of Florida and the SE region of America was published in the first atlas dedicated solely to the mapping of America  - Descriptionis Ptolemaicae augmentum - in 1597 by Cornelius van Wytfliet.

This map is from the first atlas devoted to America. The map is referenced from the Abraham Ortelius Geronimo de Chaves map entitled La Florida, published in 1584. However, here Wytfliet expands the area covered south to include parts of Cuba and north to C. de Arenas or the area of the Outer Banks of Carolina. It also enables him to include the territory called Apalche. Most of the cartography is derived from the explorations of Hernando de Soto during the years 1539-42. As such it is one of the few maps of the 16th century to record inland information largely from first hand European sources. Along with the Ortelius map of 1584, and the Johannes Metellus of 1598, these are the only printed maps of the present day southern United States published in the 16th century.

The florida peninsula is altered in shape from the Ortelius in that it is more rectangular and has a pronunced 'neck'. The source for this delineation appears to be unknown. The Rio del Spirito Santo shown here is the Mississippi River. No other states of this map are known and no text is published on the verso. (Ref: Burden; Tooley; M&B)

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