Bilder D’Anville (1697–1782) – Map of the Roman Roads Around Rome (Viarium Romanarum in Circuitu Romae) – Italy – Antique Engraving (18th Century)

Beskrivning

This detailed historical map illustrates the network of ancient Roman roads radiating from the city of Rome and extending across the surrounding region of Latium. Titled “Viarium Romanarum in Circuitu Romae Tabula Longimetrica,” the map meticulously charts the major consular roads, river systems, settlements, and geographic features that structured transportation and communication in the Roman Empire. The engraving emphasizes Rome’s central role as the hub of imperial infrastructure, with roads spreading outward like spokes from the capital.
Inset maps in the composition provide additional topographical detail, including a focused plan of the city of Rome and a depiction of the Portus Augusti, the ancient harbor complex that supported Rome’s maritime trade. The fine linework and classical Latin labeling reflect the scholarly precision of Enlightenment-era cartography and the enduring fascination with antiquity.
This antique copper engraving was produced after the work of the renowned French cartographer Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville, celebrated for his rigorous use of historical sources and archaeological evidence to reconstruct ancient geography. His maps were widely respected for their accuracy and intellectual authority and played a major role in shaping modern historical cartography.
D’Anville’s contributions bridged classical scholarship and modern scientific mapping, making his works highly sought after by collectors of antique maps, historians, and lovers of classical culture.
Artist or Maker: Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville
Dimensions: Approximately 43 cm x 48 cm
Medium: Copper engraving
Date: Circa mid-18th century