Johannes Baptiste Vrients

Johannes Baptiste Vrients (1552-1612) worked with Abraham Ortelius and purchased a manuscript translation of Oretlius’ landmark atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum in Italian from Ortelius’ estate after his death. He made the acquisition intending to publish an Italian version of the atlas in his own name. Between Ortelius’ death in 1598 and Vrients’ death in 1612, he published several new and updated editions of Ortelius.

Among the additions introduced by Vrients were eight new maps for the Theatrum, bringing the total number of maps in his posthumous editions of the atlas to 128. Moreover, Vrients expanded the scope of the atlas by adding an Introduction to Cosmography written by Michel Coignet.