Original antique map by Matthias Merian. It was published in Frankfort in 1640.
This map was featured in “Itinerarium Italia Nova Antiqua”, one of the many 'travel' publications Merian produced with Martin Zeiler, a prominent German author.
Mattheus Merian was a notable Swiss engraver, born in Basle in 1593, who subsequently studied in Zurich and then moved to Frankfurt where he met Theodore de Bry, whose daughter he married in 1617. They had numerous children together, including a daughter, Anna Maria Sibylla Merian, born in 1647. She became a pioneering naturalist and illustrator. Two of their sons followed Merian into publishing.
In Frankfurt Matthias Merian spent most of his working life with Martin Zeiller, and they produced a series of Topographia consisting of 21 volumes including a very large number of town plans as well as maps of most countries.
He also took over and completed the later parts and editions of the Grand Voyages and Petits Voyages originally started by De Bry in 1590.
