1719 L’Italie Dans Son Premier Etablissement Sous La Republique Romaine Dans La Division Par Cesar Auguste, Et Ses Differents Gouvernemens Sous Les Papes
By: Henri Abraham Chatelain
Date: 1719 (Published) Amsterdam
Dimensions: 13.25 x 17 inches (33.66 x 43.2 cm)
This fascinating hand coloured decorative map of Italy is from Henri Abraham Chatelain's monumental work Atlas Historique. Published in seven volumes, it was one of the most famous and prolific works of the early 18th century. This map exemplifies Chatelain’s resolve to confer cartographic, historic and cultural information to as wide a group of the reading public as possible.
The folio sheet presents three maps of Italy, #I with political divisions as they were at the start of the Roman Republic, #II depicts Italy as it was following the administrative divisions accomplished by Caesar, and #III is a depiction of early 18th century Italy. At the centre directly under the maps is a small map of Rome itself, detailed, illustrated with miniscule vignettes, and annotated. The following notes from the map describe but a few of the tiny scenes which serve to partially recount Rome’s history before the Republic.
The legendary ‘Abduction of the Sabine women’ is noted. The women were abducted by early Romans to be their wives or concubines in order to populate the city and thereby ensure its continued existence. It is thought to have taken place in the 8th century BCE shortly after the founding of Rome, and is depicted here as just north of the city.
Chatelain names the triplet brothers Horatii who fought for Rome against representatives from its neighbor city Alba Longa in the 7th century BCE, and tiny vignettes represent the Roman and Alban armies of that time.
To the northwest of Rome Chatelain has drawn a miniature military camp labeled Armée de Porsenna, for the Etruscan king Porsenna, who took his forces to Rome in 508 BCE and attempted to have the legendary last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, reinstated as king.
The city itself is divided into districts according to its seven hills, with a tiny legend in the lower right providing the name denoted by each letter A-G. All the gates to the city are denoted and named.
The central map of Italy is annotated in detail, describing historical events such as Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon, Hannibal (mentioned twice), etc. Descriptive text is on either side of the maps of Italy, along with lists naming the various cities and the peoples of those cities. The lists are indexed according to the letters and numbers around the edge of the central map. Rivers and lakes are indexed in the same fashion.
On either side of the map of Rome, Chatelain has provided vignettes featuring Roman celebratory processions in detail, with tiny figures of people, animals and architectural edifices, some of which are recognizable today, all labeled and easily identifiable. On one folio sheet, this map provides almost encyclopedic information regarding the Roman Empire and its history.
Condition: This map is in B condition, with light foxing and slight browning in places of the centerfold. A separation at the centerfold and one at the lower left margin have been repaired with archival material on the verso.
#12171
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