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Map of Rio de Janeiro from 1764
“Plan de la Baye de Rio-Janeiro”, Bellin, Jacques Nicolas
This handsome map depicts Guanabara Bay with a bird’s-eye plan of Rio de Janeiro.
The decorative title cartouche contains a lettered key identifying 12 locations throughout the bay, including 6 forts. Guanabara Bay was first discovered on January 1, 1502 by Portuguese explorers Gaspar de Lemos and Goncalo Coelho, who originally named it Rio de Janeiro.
The city of Rio de Janeiro was founded by the Portuguese in 1565 and became an important port for transporting the riches of the New World to Europe.
Map of Rio de Janeiro from 1764 – Historical Map