1853 'Ginormous' Civelli Wall / Case Map of Italy

A truly 'ginormous' production, this is Giuseppe Civelli's great map of Italy, here in its 1853 edition. The map measures nearly 100 inches high and 80 inches wide, making it one of the largest maps we have seen. This map was issued in the early days of the Italian Risorgimento (1848 - 1871) and can be seen as a unique symbol aspiring to a newly ascendant sense of shared Italian national identity. The map embraces the whole of the Italian peninsula and Sicily, as well as Corsica, Sardinia, Dalmatia, Malta, North Africa, and the northern Italian states. Along the top of the map, there appears a detailed comparative elevation chart. Throughout the detail is staggering, making this great work the finest map of Italy to appear in the 19th century.

Risorgimento

The Risorgimento was an Italian political and social movement that over the course of the 19th century, led to the consolidation of Italy as a single state, the Kingdom of Italy. The movement can trace its origins to feelings of national solidarity left in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars (1801 - 1815). It was further galvanized by general dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna, which reorganized Europe after the fall of the French Empire. The unification process was precipitated by the Revolutions of 1848. It saw the rise of revolutionaries and statesmen, among them, Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807 - 1882), one of Italy's 'fathers of the fatherland, along with Camillo Benso (1810 - 1861), Victor Emmanuel II of Italy (1820 - 1878) and Giuseppe Mazzini (1805 - 1872). The Risorgimento is generally considered to have achieved its goals in 1871, when Rome was designated capital of the Kingdom of Italy, although some states did not join the Kingdom of Italy until after World War I (1914 - 1918).

The Dedicatee 'Adriano Balbi'

This map is often mistakenly referred to as the 'Balbi Map' due to that figure's name appearing prominently in the titling. Balbi was born in Venice in 1782. He was a well-respected academic and geographer, having taught at the College of San Michele at Murano and the Lyceum of Fermo. His work is considered foundational in the study of hydrographic basins. He is also one of the first to introduce carto-infographics - producing the world's first 'crime maps.' When this map was issued, Balbi was in residence in Vienna, where he served the Emperor as 'Counselor for Geography and Statistics'. It is curious that Civelli dedicates his most monumental work not to a powerful political figure, or national hero, which may have earned him further patronage, but rather to a well-respected but generally obscure academic. One wonders if Civelli worked under Balbi, maintained a friendship, or if Balbi's work silently contributed to this piece? Balbi died in 1848, just 3 years after this map was issued, but he survived long enough to appreciate the honor.

Publication History and Census

This magnificent map was issued in multiple editions between 1845 and 1861. The present example was published in Milan and is dated 1853. The map was designed by Francesco Valmagini and Giuseppe Civelli (1816 - 1882) under the guidance of the civil engineer Clemente Folchi. It was engraved by Binder, Castelli, Pavesi, and Luigi Zuccoli. The allegorical cartouche, offering a personification of Italia, was drawn by Roberto Focosi and engraved by Guzzi. The whole is dedicated to the Venetian geographer Adriano Balbi (1782 - 1848). Examples of this map appear in Italian auctions from time to time, but are rarely complete and are uncommon outside of Italy. Although we are aware of others privately held in Italy, the OCLC identifies only a single holding - at the British Library, St. Pancras.