Map of the South American Hydrophilacium

The print is a 17th-century copperplate map showing the continent of South America. Its most distinctive feature is a large, cross-sectioned circular void carved into the Andes mountain range, labeled as the primary subterranean water reservoir (Hydrophilacium). The map uses stylized trees, rivers, and mountain ranges to define geography, with the southern tip tapering toward 'Terra del Fuogo' and 'Fretum Magellanic'. A decorative cartouche at the bottom center contains the Latin title, and a compass rose is visible in the upper right corner.

This map is a visual representation of Athanasius Kircher's 'Mundus Subterraneus' (1664), a seminal work of 17th-century natural philosophy that argued the Earth contains a vast, interconnected system of subterranean channels and seas.