1970 Agostini Pictorial Map of Italy

A vibrant c. 1970 pictorial map of Italy produced in the postwar period, drawn by Vsevolode Nicouline and published by Giovanni De Agostini. Its intricate drawings bring to life Italian culture, economy, and history.

A Closer Look

Taking in the Italian Peninsula plus adjoining islands (Sicily, Sardinia, etc.) and portions of neighboring countries, this richly illustrated pictorial map highlights regional characteristics and history. The administrative regions (Regioni) of Italy are shaded for easy distinction. Within the regions, local products, landmarks, and leisure activities are represented, along with references to historical dates, including battles during the Risorgimento and World War I (1914 - 1818). Historical figures also make an appearance, including Thomas Aquinas and the polymath Roger Joseph Boscovich, the latter being one of several symbols and allusions to the Jesuits. These motifs extend to the seas, where ships of various sizes and historical eras appear, along with ornate text in the style of early modern engraved maps.

Publication History and Census

Giovanni de Agostini is noted as the cartographer of this map, with Arti Grafiche Ricordi as printer, and Edizione Beatrice d'Este as publisher. It is in the style of maps drawn by Vsevolode Nicouline and published by Giovanni de Agostini in the late 1930s and early 1940s, with some features (such as the compass rose and illustration of Poseidon) matching exactly with smaller-scale maps from the work Italia Viva published in 1941. After the Second World War, the 'Italia' map from Italia Viva was modified and printed in a larger format, with known printings from c. 1946, 1960, and 1978. The present example most closely resembles the 1978 printing (recognizable for the inclusion of the region of Molise, formed in 1963, and changes to the title cartouche), but Edizione Beatrice d'Este, about whom little information is available, appears to have been most active in the 1950s and 1960s. We are unaware of any institutional holdings of this printing of the map, though the cataloging of the map is somewhat unreliable given the long history and multiple printings of the work (most of which lack dates).