1705 Homann Map of Milan and Environs, Lombardy, Piedmont, Switzerland

A scarce, early map by Johann Baptist Homann, published c. 1705, depicting a wide region around Milan, including Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige, and much of Switzerland. It was produced during the War of the Spanish Succession (1700 - 1715), when northern Italy was one of several battlefields contested by rival Habsburg and Bourbon forces.

A Closer Look

The regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, along with portions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Switzerland, are displayed in remarkable detail. Towns and cities (including Milan, Genoa, Parma, and Mantua), rivers, lakes (including Lago di Como and other grand lakes along the Italian-Swiss border), mountains, and territorial divisions are illustrated throughout. Scales of both German and Italian miles are provided.

Historical Context

The abbreviation S.R.I. in the title refers to 'Sacri Romani Imperii,' a reminder that most of these lands were at least nominally ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor, which in the early modern period was always a Habsburg. However, at the start of the 18th century, just before the map was published, the Habsburg succession and Europe as a whole were thrown into upheaval by the War of the Spanish Succession (1700 - 1715). In 1706, Austrian forces defeated French troops backing a Bourbon claim to the Spanish throne at Turin (just beyond the scope of this map to the west), securing Austrian rule over northern Italy until the mid-19th century, with an interruption at the turn of the 19th century thanks to Napoleon.

The recent fighting is mentioned, with a 'French defeat' outside Chiari (near center) on September 1, 1701, noted. The battle was a definitive victory for the Austrian Habsburgs over a larger French force and resulted in the immediate support of England and the Dutch Republic for the Holy Roman Emperor's claim to northern Italy. A later battle at Capri, far to the right, is also recorded. Moreover, the ongoing conflict is referenced by the martial figures surrounding the title cartouche, accompanied by the phrase 'render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,' reflecting the Habsburg attitude towards northern Italy. Homann also marks the site of the Battle of Pavia in 1525, the decisive battle of the Italian War of 1521 - 1526, an earlier resounding Habsburg victory over invading French forces, which included the capture of the French king, Francis I.

Publication History and Census

This map was produced in the early 18th century by Johann Baptist Homann, before he received the title of Imperial Geographer, and is generally cataloged as 'between 1702 and 1707.' It is listed three times in the OCLC and is present at four institutions: the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt, the Universitätsbibliothek Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, the Staats- und Stadtbibliothek Augsburg, and the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. Though not noted in the OCLC, the map is also held by the Uniwersytet Wrocławski. It has no known history on the market. This map's plate was very likely the basis for Homann's later map of the same region 'Ducatus Mediolani una cum confinÿs accurata tabula,' as well as Matthäus Seutter's 'Ducatus Mediolanensis cum adjuacentibus Principat'.