Italy (sold)

This is an extraordinary 2-volume 1755-57 manuscript account of the War of the Quadruple Alliance, fought over Sicily, drafted by a participant, the II Marques de la Mina, Jaime Miguel de Guzmán Davalos y Spinola. It is Mina's personal copy, emblazoned with his arms, rich with masterfully executed foldout manuscript maps and tables, and features exceptional provenance. At the time of writing, this work was suppressed in Spain, as the loss of the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape Passaro was a royal embarrassment, leading to it remaining unpublished for more than 140 years. The War of the Quadruple Alliance here represented, while not well known, had global ramifications, as it significantly diminished the Spanish navy, giving the British largely unopposed free reign on the colonial stage, particularly in the Americas. (more details)

This is a 1748 Giambattista Nolli city map or plan of Rome, which ranks as one of the best city plans ever produced. The map depicts the city in astonishing detail from the Villa Pamphili to the Tempio di Venere e Cupido and from the Vatican to the Porta San Sebastiano. Commissions by Pope Benedict XIV in an attempt to better understand the formal demarcations between Rome fourteen Rioni (traditional districts dated to the 12th century), Nolli's plan is impressive not only for its scale and accuracy, but because it is an ichnographic plan. (more details)

This is an extremely rare and striking 1565 'first state' Antonio Lafreri map of the island of Malta, during the momentous Great Siege of Malta in 1565, printed just a month into the four-month-long battle. At the time, Malta was the last major redoubt of the Knights Hospitaller, a militant monastic order of the Catholic faith that can trace its origins to the Crusades. The siege was thus framed in Europe as an epic good-vs-evil struggle between European Christianity and the Islamic Ottoman Empire. The ultimate defeat of the Ottoman forces became one of the most celebrated events not only of the 16th century, but for centuries to come: in the 18th century, the French writer, historian and philosopher Voltaire write, 'Nothing is better known than the siege of Malta.' (more details)

Issued in 1779 by Gian Giuseppe Orcel, this is the greatest map of Sicily to appear in the 18th century. One of the few maps published in Sicily (Palermo), this map is derived from a survey completed in 1720 by the Austrian Field Marshal Samuel Graf von Schmettau, but is much advanced upon, with significant corrections, and on a far grander scale. Oriented slightly to the east of north, coverage extends to the whole of Sicily with the Aeolian Islands, and an inset mapping nearby Malta and Gozo. The map is dedicated to Marc Antonio Colonna II, Prince of Stigliano, who from 1775 to 1781 was Viceroy of Sicily under the House of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies. (more details)

This exceptional piece is the 1659 Paulus a Lotharinga map of the Italian Alps issued to illustrate ongoing efforts to suppress the Waldensians (Valdesi) sect in the wake of the 1655 'Piedmontese Easter' or the 'Massacre of the Waldensians' - one of the darkest episodes in the European Wars of Religion. It is known in academic circles as the Carta dei Cappuccini or 'Capuchin Map'. (more details)

A spectacular c. 1805 large-scale folding map of Sicily, in a proof state, likely by Rizzi Zannoni. The map was issued thus, in an untitled proof state, in the chaos of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1915), when Sicily became a British base of operations against Napoleonic Naples. It embraces Sicily, as well as Malta and Gozo, the Aeolian Islands, and other smaller islands. The detail and engraving throughout is extraordinary, surpassing any earlier map of Sicily. Something must also be said of the map's pristine original condition and presentation, with original green linen backing and finely tooled slipcase. (more details)

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. (more details)

This is a rare, enigmatic, separately issued, c. 1612 Italian map of northern Italy and southern Switzerland. It details the balance of power in a region of vital strategic importance, complicated sharply by the ambitions of local powers - in particular, those of the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua and Montferrat. While the map could have been produced as early as 1608, we suspect it is in response to the dynastic and political crisis caused by the successive deaths in 1612 of Mantua's Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga (February 9, 1612) and his successor Francesco IV Gonzaga (December 22, 1612). These deaths set the stage for the successive northern Italian wars of the 17th century: the War of the Montferrat Succession (1613 - 1617), the Valtellina War (1620 - 1626), and the War of the Mantuan Succession (1628 - 1631). (more details)

This is a beautifully drawn, inked, and colored c. 1790 manuscript map of Lake Como in Lombardy, hailed as the most beautiful lake in the world. This map's author is unknown, but the cartographic detail is derived from the scarce 1790 work of the Olivetan monk Mauro Fornari. The map embraces all of Lake Como, Lake Lugano, and the smaller lakes in their immediate vicinity. It reaches as far north as the Lago di Mezzola (Chiavenna) and as far south as Rovellsca; the western and eastern extents correspond with the upper reaches of the River Tresa, and the commune of Vedeseta, Valtaleggio. As is suggested in the map's extended title, it highlights - employing tasteful hand color- the five Valleys forming Como's primary divisions: Valsasina, Val Intelvi, Val Solda, Valassina, and Val Taleggio. (more details)

This is a beautiful example of Jan Baptista Vrients' map of the Republic of Genoa, added to Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum in 1608. It is among the scarcest of the maps appearing in the Ortelius opus, having appeared in only the four final editions of the work. Typical of the maps thus included by Vrients, it is a tour de force of decorative cartography and stands among the most sumptuously engraved of the maps to appear in Ortelius' opus. Also, Ortelius atlases printed by Vrients enjoyed hand coloring of a very high quality, and the present map exemplifies this: the coloration on the cartouches, compass roses and ships is particularly rich. (more details)

This is a 1943 World War II archive of 39 aerial photographs and a map of Sicily used in planning Operation Ladbroke, the first Allied invasion based on the mass use of gliders. This archive provides insight into how Allied war planners developed operations and integrated new technologies. Aerial photographic interpretation was a cutting-edge field for military planners. This archive represents the advancement of military planning and innovation of cartography through advanced aircraft and photographic technology. (more details)

A spectacular and scarce 1722 map of Malta by Estienne Vouillemont and Nicolas de Fer. De Fer's map covers all of Malta as well as the adjacent island of Gozo. Throughout the map offers exceptional topographical detail and is, in places, almost view-like. ... (more details)

This is a beautiful full-color example of Matthäus Merian c. 1642 view of Venice at the height of its prosperity. The view looks directly north on Venice from a fictional highpoint in the Adriatic just south of Giudecca. The Piazza San Marco appears at center, with the Grand Canal winding its way through the neighboring islands Murano, Burano, Torcello, and Mazorbo, among others. The harbor is particularly bustling, with ships of all sizes and shapes waiting to dock. The armorial crest of the Republic of Venice appears in the upper right, crowned by the Doge's cap and the winged Lion of Venice at center. (more details)

This beautiful, rare engraving is an unrecorded variant of Vincenzo Coronelli's bird's-eye view of Venice. While the work is unsigned, it has been attributed to the Dutch engraver Jan Lamsvelt (or Lansvelt.) The city's unmistakable, archipelagic layout is portrayed in meticulous detail, and the waters around the city are teeming with ships and galleys (including the state barge of the Doge of Venice, Il Bucintoro). The engraving is a reduced (approximately 2/3) version of Vincenzo Coronelli's 1693 Citta di Venezia, which combined Matthias Merian's meticulous bird's-eye view with a superbly-composed ribbon-and-laurel border, embellished with the coats of arms of the various dominions of the Venetian Republic. In addition to the change of scale, the engraver has translated the bulk of the text in the body of the map from the original Italian to French, to conform to the language of the 1699 Voyages du Mr. Du Mont printed in the Hague, for which this engraving was intended. At some point that year, the plate was amended, changing the title and the two instances of the name for the Venetian Lagoon from French to Dutch. This rather hasty alteration was made for the inclusion of the plate in the Dutch edition of Du Mont's Voyages printed in Utrecht, also in 1699. None of the rest of the French text has been changed, and the plate numbering engraved in the upper left corner is unchanged between the two states of the view. That the plate was first engraved in the French, followed with the minor alteration to create a Dutch version, seems self-evident. (more details)

This the magnificent 1802 Rizzi-Zannoni large-scale map of Italy, in a beautiful example on original linen and original slipcase cover. (more details)

This is a rare and likely pirated nautical chart or map of the western Mediterranean Sea, based on Joseph Roux's 1764 groundbreaking 'Carte de la Mer Méditerranée en douze feuilles'. Roux's work was highly sought after and considered the gold standard for navigating the Mediterranean into the early 19th century. (more details)

This is an 1892 Heinrich Kiepert wall map of the Ottoman Empire. The work of Europe's finest cartographer, this is without question the best large scale general map of the Ottoman dominions to appear in the 19th century. (more details)

An important and stunning c. 1642 bird's eye view and map of Rome by Matthäus Merian. Merian's panoramic view of Rome, based on the eastward oriented model established in 1593 by Antonio Tempesta, reveals the city at the height of the Italian Renaissance. The view looks on Rome from the northwest - thus looking roughly southwest. This map follows shortly after Pope Sixtus V's ambitious civic redesign of Rome and yet predates the massive rebuilding that occurred during the Baroque Period, thus encapsulating the city during an ephemeral but significant period. The axonometric projection that Merian utilizes lends this map a special significance to historians and architects who can thus visualize many buildings that were demolished or fell into ruin during the subsequent era. (more details)

This is the scarce 1859 edition of Carlo Cerri's monumental postal map of Italy. First published in 1849, this is one of the largest and most magnificent maps of Italy to emerge from the 19th century – the age of the Grand Tour. This particular example ... (more details)

An important and stunning c. 1642 bird's eye view and map of Rome by Matthus Merian. Merian's panoramic view of Rome, based on the eastward oriented model established in 1593 by Antonio Tempesta, reveals the city at the height of the Italian Renaissance. ... (more details)

A scarce 1761 map of Malta and Gozo by the Italian engraver Antonio Bova. Oriented to the southwest, this map covers all of Malta and Gozo as well as the interstitial island of Comino. Engraved in Palermo, Italy, Bova's map offers a highly decorative ... (more details)

A beautifully executed 1799 Ignaz Heymann old-color wall map of Italy sectionalized and laid down on linen. Depicting Italy in full, the map covers from Toulon, France to Montenegro and from Lausanne, Switzerland to Sicily. The map captures Italy at the beginning of the War of the Second Coalition (1799 - 1800), fought between the European monarchies and Revolutionary France. Chronicled here are nearly all the battles of the War of the First Coalition (1792 - 1797), each of which is marked by a pair of crossed swords. Fought around the cities of Lodi, Manua, Mondovì, Codogno, Rovereto, and Bassano, among others, almost all were resounding French victories over the opposing Piedmontese and Austrian armies. (more details)

A rare find, this is a 1945 Alberto Lima pictorial World War II route map of the Força Expedicionária Brasileira (FEB, or Brazilian Expeditionary Force) in Italy. The map highlights the movements, battles, and victories of the only combat unit sent to WWII Europe by an independent South American nation. (more details)

With this dramatic 1730 map of Malta, Gozo, and Comino, Matthias Seutter celebrates the Venetian victory over the Ottoman Turks in the 1565 Siege of Malta - an event so momentous that even in the 18th century it remained a signal event in European consciousness. Along the bottom of the map are a series of armorial crests representing Grand Masters of the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller or the Order of Saint John, a militant monastic order dating to the Crusades. (more details)

This is a rare 1719 Henri Michelot nautical map of the island of Sardinia, Italy. Michelot was active in the Mediterranean Sea for many years, and his charts benefit from his expertise in those waters - making them among the finest available at the time of publication. Accordingly, coastal features are abundantly named, depth soundings are marked for the island's anchorages, and coastal landmarks such as towers and hills are indicated pictorially. The famous salt flats of Cagliari and the Oristano lagoon are marked as well. (more details)

This is a 1748 Giambattista Nolli city plan or map of Rome, Italy, in its single-sheet reduced format state, engraved by the mapmaker and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Nolli's magnum opus, the twelve-sheet La Nuova Pianta Di Roma, was printed that same year and typically bound together with two single-sheet maps: one, a retrospective showing Rome during the Classical Era, and this beautifully engraved plan intended to present the grander work in synopsis. (more details)

This is Pierre Mortier's 1704 edition of Joan Blaeu's magnificent two-sheet panorama of Naples, one of the grandest portrayals of the great seaport created in the 17th century. (more details)

A large and dramatic 1794 wall map of Europe on two panels. Published by Laurie and Whittle based the work of the important cartographer J. B. B. D'Anville. Upper sheet covers from Iceland to Russia and from the Arctic to Calais and Astrakhan. The ... (more details)

A rare and extraordinary 1847 map of Firenze or Florence, Italy by Giuseppe Molini. This magnificently engraved map was originally drawn in 1731 by the Florentine architect Ferdinando Ruggieri. Oriented to the south, the map covers the old walled ... (more details)

This is an elegant 1859 Willem Sieffert city map of Venice, lithographed on linen. Wipe the sweat from your brow and avoid getting loss among the canals! (more details)

This is a 1756 Giovanni Battista Piranesi view of the Castel Sant'Angelo, formerly Emperor Hadrian's Mausoleum, in Rome, Italy. The view depicts the Castel Sant'Angelo from across the Tiber River along with the St. Angelo Bridge, also known as the ... (more details)

This is a 1635 first edition Willem Janszoon Blaeu map of Italy. The map depicts the region from western France to the Balkans and from Switzerland (labeled here as Parte di Germania ) to northern Sicily. Highly detailed, myriad cities, towns, and ... (more details)