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Stock# 93987
Description

With 58 Engraved Bird's Eye Views of Italian Cities

Rare first edition of this compact Italian atlas of 58 handsomely engraved views of Italian cities including Rome, Florence, Venice, Mantova, the island of Malta, and others. Beyond the larger cities, there are also views of smaller Italian towns, such as Fano, Brescia, Orvieto, Gallipoli and many more. The engravings are quite detailed, showing the style of the architecture, fortified walls, city's coat of arms, etc. In some cases the names of the entrance gates into the depicted city are identified (for instance in Florence: Santo Viene, Ouile, Camuolia, Fonte Branda, Sterino, San Marco, Tusi and Romana). These views offer the historian of early modern Italy an interesting visual record of the relationship of the urban built environment to its suburbs and the surrounding country.

Each view is accompanied by a detailed explanation in Latin, including a succinct account of each city or town, its political organization, and the like.

Rarity

Complete copies of the Bertelli atlas of Italian city views are increasing rare in the market. 

Condition Description
Oblong quarto. 19th-century leather-backed boards. Head of spine worn, backstrip detaching at upper front hinge, without loss. [8], 3-101, [1] leaves. Including engraved pictorial title page and 58 engraved maps, colophon leaf (with woodcut printer's device). Collation: a 4, A-Cc 4, the last leaf with colophon. Complete, conforming to collation in Adams. Occasional slight soiling to margins. Title page somewhat soiled, with small old spot stains. The views are all nice dark impressions.
Reference
Adams B-801. Shirley, British Library T.Ber-2a.
Pietro Bertelli Biography

Pietro Bertelli published the Theatrum Urbium italicarum in Venice in 1599 and thereafter.