1659 Lotharingia 'Capuchin' Map of the Italian Alps: Massacre of the Waldensians

This exceptional piece is the 1659 Paulus a Lotharinga map of the Italian Alps issued to illustrate ongoing efforts to suppress the Waldensians (Valdesi) sect in the wake of the 1655 'Piedmontese Easter' or the 'Massacre of the Waldensians' - one of the darkest episodes in the European Wars of Religion. It is known in academic circles as the Carta dei Cappuccini or 'Capuchin Map'.

A Closer Look

Oriented to the west, coverage embraces from Nice, France, south to Vercelli and the Sesia River. Although late for that genre, the whole is meticulously engraved in the Italian style most commonly referred to as the 'Lafreri School.' The Italian Alps spread impressively across the upper parts of the map, with Mt. Viso (Vesulo) prominent. The map is roughly centered on Torino (Turin), but the real focus is the Italian Alps, just to the east. Towns and cities throughout are identified according to their religious affiliations. Beyond the Alps, we note Geneva with a broken cross, indicating that it has fallen to Protestantism. The map notes,

• 17 Missions of the Capuchin Fathers
• 3 of the Reformed Fathers
• 1 of the Fathers Servants of the Blessed Virgin
• Convents of the Capuchin Fathers in the cities and lands of Piedmont
• Temples of the Heretics
• Preaching Ministers

The 'Heretics' in this case are identified by a 'V' on top of the village symbol. These are clustered in the remote Alpine river valleys dominating the upper center of the map and represent the 'Valdesi' or Waldensians, a Protestant sect with deep roots in the region. From 1655, the Waldensians were the subject of ongoing oppression following one of the darkest episodes in the European Wars of Religion, the 'Piedmontese Easter' or the 'Massacre of the Waldensians.'

Piedmontese Easter

This map followed in the wake of one of the most infamous events in the history of Protestantism in the Italian Alps. The 1655 'Piedmontese Easter' or the 'Massacre of the Waldensians' was a religious cleansing of the Waldensian sect in northern Italy. The Duke of Savoy, Charles Emmanuel II, sent Catholic troops into the Waldensian valleys with the goal of forcing the inhabitants to convert to Catholicism or face annihilation. The result was a brutal massacre, with thousands of Waldensians killed, imprisoned, or forced into exile. Those who survived fled to Protestant regions such as Switzerland and the Netherlands, where they found support and protection. The massacre attracted the attention of Protestant leaders across Europe, including Oliver Cromwell in England, who condemned the atrocities and offered aid to the survivors.

Publication History and Census

This map was engraved by Paulus a Lotharinga for publication in Mathia Ferrerio's 1659 Rationarivm chronographicvm Missionis Euangelicæ ab Apostolicis Operarijs, a history of the Capuchin fathers and their missionary efforts in the Alps. Both the book and the map are exceedingly rare. We note no examples of the book in OCLC. The work is mentioned in the Waldensian Bibliography, but no holdings are noted. Similarly, the map appears in the Waldensian Bibliography. We see just four physical holdings at the Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Universidad de Granada, Universitat de València, and the Archivio Storico della Città di Torino. No market history.