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Description

This is an uncommon late 17th-century map depicting part of the Lombardy region of Italy. The map is based on the work of Giacomo Cantelli da Vignola, an Italian cartographer who introduced a distinctive style in cartography that was followed and developed by notable cartographers such as Vincenzo Coronelli. The map was published in Rome as part of Giacomo de Rossi's world atlas "Mercurio Geografico" and is dated 1680. The map was engraved by Giorgio Widman, a skilled Italian engraver who contributed to several important atlases of the time.

Cantelli's style in cartography was characterized by highly detailed engravings that incorporated a range of geographic and topographic features, including mountains, rivers, forests, and cities, as well as intricate embellishments and decorative elements. This style was highly influential and contributed to the development of more sophisticated mapping techniques in the following centuries.

Overall, this map represents a significant historical document that provides valuable insight into the topography, geography, and cultural significance of the Lombardy region during the late 17th century, as well as the advancements in cartography during this time period.

Condition Description
Minor foxing and finger soiling, mostly confined to the blank margins.
Giacomo Giovanni Rossi Biography

Giacomo Giovanni Rossi (1627-1691) was an Italian engraver and printer. He worked in Rome, the heir to an important printing business founded by his father, Giuseppe de Rossi (1570-1639). Giuseppe began the press in 1633 and Giovanni and his brother, Giandomenico (1619-1653) took it over upon his death. The brothers expanded the business and by the mid-seventeenth century it was the best-known printing house in Rome.

For his maps, Giovanni worked with Giacomo Cantelli da Vignola. They produced the Atlas Mercurio Geografico. The first edition is undated, but the second was issued in 1692, a year after Giovanni’s death. The maps were by Cantelli. The firm also published maps based on those of Nicolas Sanson.

Later, the business passed to Lorenzo Filippo (1682-?). By 1738, the firm was known as Calcografia Camerale, then, from 1870 to 1945, as the Regia Calcografica. Today, the firm is still in business and is called Calcografia Nazionale. It operates as a free museum and offers one of the best collections of prints and plates in the world.