Original antique engraving published c.1720. It is from Bodenhr's "Europeens Pracht und Macht in 200 Kupfer-Stucken."
Bodenehr was a skilled cartographer known for his detailed town plans.
"Europens Pracht und Macht" (published around 1720) was specifically compiled to showcase "the most famous, respectable, and outstanding cities, fortresses, castles, and palaces" across Europe. Because Catania had been so tragically lost to the dual disasters, its inclusion as "Catania Vor ihrem Untergang" fit perfectly into the book's theme of documenting Europe’s grandest architectural achievements.
The engraving created by the prominent German cartographer and publisher uniquely illustrates the city plan of Catania exactly as it looked prior to the dual catastrophes of the 1669 eruption and the 1693 earthquake. It features an ornate cartouche containing a small, detailed portrait illustration of Saint Agatha, the patron saint of Catania.
