This beautiful map by Nicolas Sanson would be a great addition to any Ireland map collection. It is generally accepted that the great age of French cartography originated with the work of Nicolas Sanson. Sanson was born in Abbeville where as a young man he studied history, particularly of the ancient world, and it is said that he turned to cartography only as a means of illustrating his historical work. For this purpose he prepared a number of beautifully drawn maps, one of which, after his move to Paris, came to the attention of Louis XIII. In due course the King appointed him ‘Geographe Ordinaire du Roi’, one of his duties being to tutor the King in geography.