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Maximum Italy -- With The Rare Rome Plan Added
Rare variant edition of Giuseppe Civelli's monumental wall map of Italy, first published in 1845.
Civelli's wall map of Italy contextualizes the nationalist fervor of the Italian Risorgimento, presenting a comprehensive topographical and political survey during a pivotal era in Italian history. The map, measuring over 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide, offers a remarkable depiction Italy's varied terrain and the then-contested borders, reflecting the aspirations for unity during the coming period from 1848 to 1871.
Across the top, Civelli includes a detailed elevation chart for regions including Corsica, Sardinia, Dalmatia, Malta, North Africa, and the northern Italian states.
The political and social upheaval inherent to the Risorgimento is integral to understanding the map's significance. This movement, catalyzed by the widespread dissatisfaction following the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15, would finally explode with in the revolutions of 1848 and culminated with the proclamation of Rome as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy in 1871. The map, therefore, not only serves as a geographic record but as a testament to Italy's quest for nationhood, led by figures such as Giuseppe Garibaldi, Victor Emmanuel II, and Giuseppe Mazzini. It illustrates the desire for cohesion amidst a fragmented peninsula, where several states remained outside the unification until the post-World War I era, 1914-1918.
The allegorical cartouche, embodying Italia, was the work of Roberto Focosi, with additional engraving by Guzzi.
Originally including a dedication to Adriano Balbi, the map was issued between 1845 and1861.
The present example includes a plan of Rome which has been added either over or in place of the Balbli dedication. Curiously, of the 3 examples of the map identified in institutional collections by OCLC, each gives a different date (1845, 1853 and 1861). Most examples of the wall map do not include the plan of Rome.
