Veduta della Piazza di Cortona

View from the famous "Il viaggio pittorico della Toscana", printed in Florence, for Giovanni Marenigh, 1817.

The work is considered one of the most important and suggestive pictorial books on Tuscany.

Abbot Francesco Fontani (Florence, 1748-1818), after his studies in the seminary of the Collegio Eugeniano moved to Rome where he taught in the Collegio Bandinelli. He accomplished also artistic and archaeological studies and, returning to Florence, he became Librarian at the Riccardiana, also taking care of the Accademia della Crusca. He was priest in the church of Santa Lucia dei Magnoli.

"Il viaggio pittorico della Toscana" is his most famous work.

Perfectly reproducing the plates engraved by the Terreni brothers during their 1801 voyage, it was first published between 1801 and 1803 for the types of Tofani in Florence and later, in this reduced format version, by Giovanni Marenigh in 1817-1818 and in 1822.