The globes in the Lancisiana Library, created by Vincenzo Maria Coronelli, were gifted to Giovanni Maria Lancisi by the Doge of Venice, Francesco Morosini, on the occasion of the library’s inauguration. Each globe is supported by four gilded metal arms extending from a carved base to hold the horizon/equator. The meridian is made of brass, as is the northern disk, which bears engraved hour markings. The Franciscan friar Vincenzo Maria Coronelli was a renowned Venetian cartographer and geographer. Even Louis XIV invited him to his court. He began constructing terrestrial and celestial globes in 1678 and went on to produce more than 200 maps. For the Sun King, he created two enormous globes—one terrestrial and one celestial—each about 5 meters in diameter.
