1965 Müller / Clementi Pictorial 'Ideographic' Map of Italy

An imposing and scarce pictorial map of Italy, drawn by Otto M. Müller and E. V. Clementi, and published in 1965 by the Istituto Cartografico Italiano. Using rich and colorful illustrations, it demonstrates the great variety of Italian culture(s), from the Alps in the north to Sicily in the south.

A Closer Look

Taking in the entirety of Italy, this large pictorial map highlights the local customs, products, history, and attractions of the country's different regions, from skiing, mountain climbing, and lederhosen-clad dancers in the Alps to vineyards and Roman ruins in Sicily. Cities, major roads (including the autostrade), and railways are illustrated. Beaches, spas, and other relaxation spots are given considerable attention. Historical figures including Galileo, Lorenzo de Medici, St. Francis, and Dante, as well as more recent figures like the stigmata Padre Pio (aged but still alive when this map was published) appear throughout.

Below the title is a quote from Virgil about the virtues of Italy, with similar quotes from Browning, Goethe, Lamartine, and Stendahl at top and bottom. Also in the margins are rows of beautiful women in the traditional local dress of Italian regions. Ornate lettering in the style of early modern engraving is used to identify the surrounding seas.

Aside from its clear celebration of Italy's diversity, the map also reflects collective relief after the tumultuous years of fascism and war. It might also represent a fear of cultural homogenization amid Italy's postwar economic miracle, as mass media, consumerism, and other forces of modernity began to erode the distinctiveness of the country's regions. Artists and cultural critics including Pier Paolo Pasolini saw the postwar capitalist economy as a disguise for renewed fascism, including its drive towards cultural and bureaucratic centralization.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Otto M. Müller and E.V. Clementi and was published by the Istituto Cartografico Italiano. This is the second edition of the map, with the first having been published in 1956. In either edition the map is quite rare, with the present edition not appearing in any institutional holdings and the 1956 edition only noted among the holdings of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and the Zentralbibliothek Zürich.