La vera et fidele descrittione di tutto il Contado di Zara et Sebenico...

La vera & fidele descrittione di tutto il Contado di Zara & Sebenico, molto diligentemente descritto, et con ogni diligentia intagliato da Paolo Forlani Veronese. In Venetia P'Anno 1570.

The first copper derivation of the map of Zara and Sebenico by Matteo Pagano is due to Paolo Forlani. which faithfully translates the original model. The Forlani map had a considerable following and was replicated by Ortelius with the plate inserted in the "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" (1573) and, with the title of "Vera et Fidelis Descriptio Comitatus Zataeet Sebenici uti impresa est olim Venetiis to Paulo Forlani", from Gerard De Jode (1578).

Example of the fourth state described in Bifolco/Ronca, showing the small tablet in the cartouche.

The first state of the map, ante litteram, is known only through the copy of the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Destombes, from the abrasions on the date found in the edition with the title in the cartouche (1570), it claims that there is a printing dated 1566. A fourth and final draft of the map, bears in the cartouche the tablet that, according to some scholars, would be the initials of Paolo Forlani. However, since this figurative element it occurs only on the late evidence of Forlani's plates, we believe it identifies another publisher, perhaps Girolamo Porro. In the catalog of typography of Antonio Lafreri (n. 38) there is the voice "Contado di Zarra" that could identify this map, present in many sixteenth-century collections bearing the title page of "Tavole Moderne di Geografia" of the French publisher. It is plausible that the Lafreri had one sort of exclusive sale of the work for the city of Rome. Alternatively, the copperplate could be merged into the Roman typography through Claudio Duchetti.

Paolo Forlani, a native of Verona, opened his own chalcographic workshop in Venice, Al segno del pozzo, in 1560, as reflected in some of his works. From 1566 he was active in Merzaria al segno della colonna and from 1569 in Merzaria al segno della nave. Forlani had business relationships with the major publishers of cartographic material of the time, among them Antonio Lafreri, the Bertelli family, and others. In addition to being a talented engraver, he was also quick to execute, a quality that enabled him to work for different publishers at the same time, and to execute a large amount of work. Woodward attributes about one hundred works to Forlani, most of which, however, are unsigned. Between 1560 and 1567, Forlani collaborated with Ferrando Bertelli, for whom he engraved about ten copperplates, with Camocio, Bolognino Zaltieri, and with Claudio Duchetti, for whom he engraved some maps. For his professional activity, however, the collaboration with Giacomo Gastaldi, for whom he engraved thirteen maps, was very important and valuable. In 1567 Forlani published and traded his work Il primo libro delle città et fortezze principali del mondo, whose branches later passed to Bolognino Zaltieri. It is likely that Forlani died during the plague that spread through Venice from 1575.

A fine impression, printed on contemporary laid paper with "Shield" watermark (not in Woodward), with margins, some vertical paper folds, otherwise very good conditions. Only two example of this state is recorded in the Public Libraries.

Bibliografia

Bifolco-Ronca, Cartografia e topografia italiana del XVI secolo, p. 1384, Tav. 636, IV/IV; Almagià (1929): tav. XXXV; Almagià (1948): p. 102; Borroni Salvadori (1980): n. 49; cfr. Mlinarić (2011): pp. 72-90; Tooley (1939): n. 600; Woodward (1990): n. 92; Woodward (1992): n. 65.