An original antique map of Mantova, engraved by Matthias Merian. It appeared in various publications including the “Itinerarium Italiae” of 1640 and editions of the “Theatrum Europaeum”.
This engraving depicts Mantua (Italian Mantova), shown as a fortified island city surrounded by the artificial lakes.
These function simultaneously as natural defenses, transport routes, and symbols of ducal power. The engraving makes clear that Mantua is not merely adjacent to water but architecturally integrated into it enclosed by walls and bastions. The street pattern is organic and curving, reflecting medieval growth rather than a rigid Renaissance grid.
Mantua was the capital of the Gonzaga dukes, and the inclusion of the ducal coat of arms reinforces the city’s status as a princely seat. The city appears ordered, secure, and self-contained—an image carefully cultivated by the Gonzaga to project stability and authority.
Matthäus Merian, the leading German illustrator of the 17th century, was born in Basel in 1593. He learned the art of copperplate engraving in Zurich and subsequently worked and studied in Strasbourg, Nancy, Paris, and the Low Countries.
In 1618 he went to Frankfurt, wherein in 1618, he married the eldest daughter of J.T. de Bry, publisher and engraver. After de Bry died in 1623, he took over his business. De Bry’s business remained in Merian’s family until 1726, when a fire destroyed it.
In 1635 he began the series Theatrum Europaeum. Between 1642 and 1688, he published Martin Zeiller’s Topographia Germaniae, with more than 2,000 plates etched and engraved by himself and his sons Matthäus and Caspar.
He also took over and completed the later parts and editions of the Grand Voyages and Petits Voyages, initially started by de Bry in 1590.
