In this scholarly and engaging history of the cartography of paradise, Alessandro Scafi journeys from the beginning of Christianity to the present day. Instead of dismissing the medieval belief in an earthly paradise as a picturesque legend, and the cartography of paradise as merely a medieval superstition, Scafi explores the intellectual conditions that made the mapping of paradise possible. The challenge for mapmakers, he argues, was to make visible a place that was geographically inaccessible and yet real. As the absorbing story unfolds, each episode is richly illustrated by contemporary maps, many illuminated by the author's unique cartographic drawings.  Large heavy hardback in illustrated dustjacket.  398 pages.  Near new condition.  Cat No 4478