Map of Rio de Janeiro of 1764
“Plan de la Baye de Rio-janeiro”, Bellin, Jacques Nicolas
This beautiful map shows the Guanabara Bay with an aerial view of Rio de Janeiro.
The decorative title cartouche contains a lettered legend identifying 12 locations in the bay, including 6 forts.
Guanabara Bay was first discovered on 1 January 1502 by the Portuguese explorers Gaspar de Lemos and Gonçalo 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 wealth from the New World to Europe.
Map of Rio de Janeiro, 1764 – Historical Map
