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Description

Fascinating early manuscript copy of Wolfgang Lazius's map of Austria and part of Northeastern Italy, extending south to Verona, published in 1561.

The map captures many of the decorative and geographical features of the Lazius map, but a close comparison shows that this example is not an exact copy of the map, omitting a number of details and place names, although generally speaking a very impressive copy of the map.

Wolfgang Laz (Lazius) (1514 - 1565), was an Austrian humanist who worked as a cartographer, historian, and physician. Lazius was born in Vienna, and first studied medicine, becoming professor in the medical faculty at the University of Vienna in 1541. Lazius would later became curator of the imperial collections of the Holy Roman Empire and official historian to Emperor Ferdinand I.

In his capacity as curator, he authored a number of historical works, in research for which he traveled widely, amassing (and sometimes stealing) documents from numerous monasteries and other libraries.

Lazius also produced a number of important early maps of Austria, Bavaria, Hungary, and Greece, now considered important in the history of cartography. The present map was the basis for a number maps of the region, including the map of Abraham Ortelius.

Condition Description
Manuscript map on silk