Articles on maps or groups of maps

Abstract

Summary Tooley's catalogue, Maps in Italian Atlases of the XVIth century, shows that the earliest engraved plans or views of towns appeared in connection with military events, first about 1543, later towards 1557 and the following years. The collection here studied confirms this, but forces us to date the beginning of the second period earlier: the 15 representations of towns which it contains (7 Italian, 2 German, 2 Hungarian, 3 French) relate, with one exception (that of Pavia), to events which took place between 1552 and 1567. The physical form of this collection, and comparison of the various inscriptions on the views, lead to the conclusion that we have here, not a ‘recueil factice’ compiled by an amateur from pieces acquired separately, but an integral collection assembled by a publisher — probably Ferando Bertelli, of Venice ‐ who specially printed these plates of identical size in order to produce a veritable little atlas, of which several very similar examples must have existed.