URBIS ROMAE DESCRIPTIO

Magnificent example of this extraordinarily rare map of Rome, engraved by Giacomo Franco for the publisher Luca Bertelli.

At the top, in a cartouche, we find the title: URBIS ROMAE DESCRIPTIO. Along the bottom margin there is a numerical key of 69 references, distributed in nine columns. In the last cartouche on the right, the editorial imprint, Luca Bertelli for. and the signature Jacobus fra[n]chus fec. 1580.

Orientation in all four sides, in the center, with the name of the cardinal points: SEPTENTRIO, MERIDIES, ORIENS, OCIDENS, the north is on the left. Map without graphic scale. 

Perspective map of the city taken from the Janiculum Hill, engraved by Giacomo Franco for the publisher Luca Bertelli. It is a faithful Venetian replica of the small map of Cartaro (1575), therefore, it has not a particular historical value, but an incredible antiquarian value, as the map is known only in 3 copies (see B/R p. 2402, which describes the copies in London, British Library and in Rome, Istituto Centrale per la Grafica and that of the private collection published in Marigliani (2007)).

Probably, judging by its extreme rarity, it was not even very successful in publishing. The numerical key-legend here too is composed of 69 references. The date on the plate is not particularly clear and has generated confusion in the relative literature. According with Rocchi (1902) the date is 1584, corrected by Hülsen (1915), who dates it 1589. In the most recent catalogue of the exhibition Roma Veduta (2000) the date is brought back to 1584 up to the exact date of 1580 which is provided in Marigliani (2007).

In the three exemplars we examined, one belonging to a private collection, the date, although confused, appears to be 1580.

The publisher of the map is Luca Bertelli (active 1563 - 1582 circa). According to Saraceni Fantini, Luca had a bookshop in Padua between 1564 and 1594. Already around 1560, however, but only until 1582, he was active in Venice in the world of chalcography as a publisher, engraver and merchant and in a copy of Cornelis Cort's engravings.

Etching with engraving, small margins, perfect condition.

Literature:
Bifolco - Ronca, Cartografia e Topografia italiana del XVI secolo (2018), pp. 2402-2403, tav. 1236; cfr. Frutaz (1962): n. CXLI e tav. 281; Hülsen (1915): XIIA, p. 62, n. 61; Hülsen (1933): p. 107, XIIa; Marigliani (2005): p. 124; Marigliani (2007): n. 55; Rocchi (1902): cfr. p. 75 e tav. XIV; Roma Veduta (2000): n. 17; Scaccia Scarafoni (1939): pp. 90-91, n. 163; Tooley (1939): n. 496.