1710 J. B. Homann Map of Sicily and Sardinia, Italy

A beautiful example of Johann Baptist Homann's 1710 map of Sicily and Sardinia, Italy. The map illustrates the islands as they were vigorously contended for by the Spanish Hapsburgs and the French Bourbons during the War of Spanish Succession (1701 - 1714).

A Closer Look

Coverage extends from Sardinia to Calabria and the Gulf of Taranto, south to include all of Sicily, Malta, Gozo, and parts of northern Africa in the vicinity of Tunis. Sicily is divided according to its ancient provinces: Val di Mazara, Val di Noto, and Val Demone.

A large inset in the lower left illustrates Catania, with Mout Etna erupting in the background - likely referencing the devastating eruption and earthquake of 1693, which destroyed the city and the surrounding Val di Noto. In the lower right, an inset of Valletta, Malta, reflects its role as the stronghold of the Knights Hospitaller, whose naval defenses provided the first line of defense against Ottoman expansion.

The allegorical cartouche at the top center underscores the fertile island's role as a breadbasket of the Mediterranean. Supporting figures hold aloft bunches of great and a cycle - symbols of harvest and plenty. Below, cherubs support the arms of Sicily and Sardinia. Above and to the right of the cartouch, Hephaestus, god of fire, metalworking, and craftsmanship, works his forge, which mythology associates with Mt. Etna.

Sicily, Sardinia, and the War of the Spanish Succession

During the War of Spanish Succession (1701 - 1714), Sicily and Sardinia played pivotal roles as strategically significant Mediterranean islands vigorously contested by European powers. Initially, under Spanish Habsburg control, these islands became bargaining chips in the broader conflict over the Spanish throne following the death of Charles II of Spain in 1700. The war saw alliances shift as the Bourbon claimant, Philip V of Spain, fought against a coalition of European powers seeking to prevent Bourbon dominance. By the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, which ended much of the war, Sicily was awarded to Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, marking the Savoyard dynasty's rise as a European power. Sardinia, however, remained with Spain until 1720, when it was ceded to the Austrian Habsburgs in exchange for Sicily as part of the Treaty of The Hague. This exchange established the Kingdom of Sardinia under Savoyard control, with Sardinia remaining a key element of Italian unification in the 19th century. The war reshaped the political landscape of the Mediterranean, reducing Spanish influence and distributing territorial control among emerging European powers.

Publication History and Census

This is the first plate of this map - engraved between 1707 and 1710 for inclusion in the 1710 edition of the Neuer Atlas. It has a notably richer impression and finer engraving than the subsequent c. 1715 plate, recognizable by less expressive engraving and the inclusion of Homann's Privilege. The present example is from a 1710 edition of the Neuer Atlas. In its many editions, the map is well-represented in institutional collections, and versions of the map occasionally appear on the market. However, there is no complete census of individual states and plates, so the dating of these pieces is difficult to determine without examination of the maps themselves.