Astronomical Images : Idea of the Universe, detail

Vincenzo Maria Coronelli

Astronomical Images

The Idea dell'universo of Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650-1718) is a magnificent copperplate print, spanning two folios, which appeared in the first volume of his Atlante veneto (1690; republished in 1691 and 1695), and was reused in such later works as the Globi differenti (1701) and Cronologia universale (1707). Rather than a single diagram, it comprises a range of figures conveying astronomical, astrological, cosmological, and calendrical information. The detail seen here is one such figure that contributes to the overall composition of the Idea. This circular diagram, situated at the top of the Idea, is labelled 'Ordine di tutte le sfere, con la loro dichiaratione', or 'Ordering of all the spheres, with a declaration of them'. Though based on the traditional 'nested sphere' diagram of the heavens and Elements common in spherical astronomy texts, it also includes a variety of astrological, calendrical and cartographical information. The central circle of the diagram represents not the terraqueous Earth, as was conventional, but the fires of Hell, complete with pitchfork-wielding devils, and a list of its circles including both Limbo and Purgatory. Belief in Purgatory was one of the doctrines rejected by Protestant Reformers and reaffirmed at the Council of Trent; this diagram thus clearly represents the Catholic credentials of Coronelli's cosmography. Surrounding this centre is a ring representing the terraqueous Earth, divided into four quarters to represent each of the four continents. External to this are the elemental rings of Water and Fire, then rings for each of the planets, accompanied by some text describing their distances and astrological properties. Beyond this is a ring labelled with the zodiac signs, then a 'Decima sphera' (tenth sphere), also labelled the 'Primo mobile' (prime mover). This outer ring is divided both into twenty-four to represent the hours of the day, and 36,000 to represent the Great Year ' the number of years taken for all the planets to return to their starting point in the zodiac.