1710 Homann First Edition Map of Central Italy, including Tuscany, Florence, Rome

A striking first edition example of Johann Baptist Homann's c. 1710 map of the Papal States of central Italy, including Rome, Florence, and the other grand cities of Tuscany and nearby regions. It was produced during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 - 1714), which reshaped the political landscape of much of Italy.

A Closer Look

Coverage ranges from Mantova and the Po River at the top to Gaeta at the bottom, taking in Tuscany, Rome, and nearby regions. Cities and towns are recorded in detail, with fortified cities illustrated with walls. Mountains, waterways, forests, and administrative boundaries are likewise meticulously documented. Rome is situated towards the bottom right, and Florence is near the center on the Arno River. Additional cities such as Pisa, Ravenna, Bologna, and Ferrara are easily identifiable. An elaborate title cartouche includes multiple symbols of the Papacy, including the Papal Cross and Papal Mitre.

The Lago di Celano, also known as the Lago Fucino, east of Rome, was once the third largest lake in Italy but no longer exists, having been drained in 1878. Since Roman times, when the settlement of Marruvium was founded on its eastern shore, the lake had posed risks of floods and disease as the waters had no natural outflow. Thus, after years of planning and construction, a canal was built, and the lake drained, leaving behind an extremely fertile plain (Piana del Fùcino) ideal for farming (since the 1960s, the dried lakebed also hosts a large satellite telecommunications center). Similar drainage projects were employed in the 19th century on other ancient lakes present here, such as the Lago di Sesto near Bientina, east of Pisa. Conversely, the Valli di Comacchio east of Ferrara and Bologna at the top was a relatively recent development, forming in the tenth century due to silting and erosion and filling with seawater beginning in the 16th century. Though the wetlands have been gradually reduced from their considerable extent seen here, they are today a largely protected wildlife preserve and remain one of the largest wetlands in Italy.

The War of the Spanish Succession

During the War of Spanish Succession (1701 - 1714), different regions of Italy served as a battleground contested by major European powers. The war, prompted by the death of Spanish King Charles II without an heir, led to a wide-ranging struggle between the Habsburgs and Bourbons and drew in neighboring powers. Since Spain controlled the duchies of Milan and Mantua, these became points of contention in the struggle. France quickly moved to occupy the formerly Spanish possessions in northern Italy. Austrian troops drove the French out of Italy after breaking the French Siege of Turin in 1706, leaving the Habsburgs and Savoys as the major powers in northern Italy and throughout Italy writ large until the rise of Napoleon. As for the Papal States, although they had origins in the era of the Roman Empire, the pope's 'rule' over these lands was mostly nominal. However, a series of popes in the late 15th - 17th centuries fought to expand their temporal powers, becoming entangled in European geopolitics and warfare in the process. In addition to more closely controlling territories under their domain, the popes of this era also conquered or reclaimed territories that had once theoretically been part of the Papal States, including Ferrara and Urbino.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Johann Baptist Homann between 1707 and 1710 for inclusion in the 1710 edition of his Neuer Atlas. The present example can be compared to the following state of the map from c. 1716 (also offered by us: StatusEcclesiastici-homann-1716), which though superficially similar, was, in fact, an entirely new plate, adding Homann's royal Privilege, modifying the title cartouche, and updating political boundaries, such as the bewildering mix of small territories around Spezza and Massa at the left here, which changed hands between the two states as the result of deaths and marriages among local noble families. Similar modifications can be seen by comparing the area at the top around Mantova (Mantua), which the House of Gonzaga lost in the course of the War of the Spanish Succession, with the Austrian Habsburgs taking control of the duchy (Ducatus Mantuani). 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.