Dominio Fiorentino.
13 ½ x 18 inches, Fine original color, refreshed; bit of centerfold abrasion, else excellent condition. A scarce, richly engraved map of northern Tuscany from the first Italian national atlas. Florence is in the center of the map; Lucca and Pisa are to west; and Siena and Arrezzo are also included. Centered on Florence, the map spans west to include Pisa and the independent Republic of Lucca, while extending south and east to capture Siena and Arezzo. This finely detailed regional survey appeared in Giovanni Antonio Magini’s landmark Italia (Bologna, 1620), a monumental project that synthesized the great, scattered Italian cartography of the sixteenth century—including masterpieces of the "Lafreri" school—into a single, unified format. The atlas occupied the better part of Magini’s later life; following his death in 1617, the work was faithfully completed and published by his son, Fabio. Magini was a highly innovative figure in Italian map design, becoming the first in the region to systematically adopt the grand Dutch aesthetic. By integrating the elaborate, baroque cartouches and strapwork ornamentation popularized by northern masters like Mercator, Hondius, and Ortelius, Magini introduced a uniformly rich, dramatic visual style entirely unprecedented in printed Italian cartography. This map also features the hand of the celebrated English engraver Benjamin Wright, who lived in Mantua and Bologna.
Price: $650.00