View of San Juan, Puerto Rico

Title on object: Porto Rico van Binnen aen te sien

The view shows the island of San Juan on the north side of Puerto Rico, including the town and its main buildings, seen northwards from the Bay of Puerto Rico. Among these buildings was the castle of San Felipe, an important Spanish center of power in the Caribbean.

Also see Carte di Castello 36.

Other copies: Nationaal Archief VELH0619.117; Österreichische Nationalbibliothek: Van der Hem 44:19; Bibliothèque Nationale de France GE C-1446; Vatican Library Reg. Lat 2105, fol. 80r. (The latter three not available in the AMH, but in the online collections of these respective institutions.)

Part of the Carte di Castello, collected by Cosimo de Medici III in 1667 and 1669 during his tours through Europe. Cosimo III bought the 66 watercolours by Vingboons in December 1667 in Amsterdam, through mediation of Pieter Blaeu.