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Description

This finely engraved map titled Vindeliciae Veteris Delineatio appears in the works of Marcus Welser.

The map illustrates Vindelicia, an ancient Roman province corresponding roughly to parts of modern-day southern Germany, western Austria, and northern Switzerland, bounded by the Danube to the north and the Alps to the south. The map seeks to reconstruct Roman-era geography based on classical sources and archaeological conjecture, combining humanistic scholarship with Renaissance cartographic artistry.

The map is oriented with north at the top and includes an abundance of Latin toponyms, reflecting the territory's division into tribal and administrative units known to the Romans. Settlements such as Augusta Vindelicorum (modern Augsburg), Brigantium (Bregenz), and Cambodunum (Kempten) are noted, as are rivers including the Oenus (Inn), Licus (Lech), and Danuvius (Danube). Mountain ranges are rendered pictorially, echoing early modern cartographic conventions. Borders with neighboring Roman provinces such as Raetia, Noricum, and Pannonia are demarcated. The map also includes the location of the Helvetii, Vindelici, and other tribal groups noted by Roman historians.

In the upper left corner are two vignettes, engraved with classical scenes, likely meant to evoke episodes of Roman military conquest or cultural influence. In the upper right is an oval cartouche containing the personification of Vindelicia, accompanied by the Latin title of the map. The composition reflects the scholarly and artistic aspirations of Welser’s Opera Omnia, intended not only to preserve historical texts but to visualize and celebrate the Roman legacy in southern Germany.

Welser’s publication is notable for its inclusion of Roman geographical sources, particularly the Tabula Peutingeriana, a schematic itinerary map of the Roman Empire’s road system. In this context, the Vindelicia map aligns with the larger antiquarian project of reconstituting Roman provincial geography through the lens of early modern humanist scholarship. This map, like the accompanying engraved verses of Porphyrius’ Panegyric of Constantine, testifies to the volume’s ambition as both a historical and typographic monument. It bridges Roman antiquity, Renaissance classicism, and baroque visual culture, while also highlighting Welser’s personal investment in the history and identity of his native Augsburg, anciently known as Augusta Vindelicorum.