Venetia

In the upper center, in large letters and interrupted by the island of Murano, is engraved the title: VENETIA. The lower part of the panel depicts the Proccisione del Corpus Domini con la compagnia de Pelegrini che vanno in Gierusalem, at the sides of which is engraved, spread over four columns, a numerical legend of 94 references relating to the churches and parishes of the city. In the lower left corner is a view of the Piazzetta di S. Marco, and at the bottom is the editorial imprint: Matteo Florimi Formis. In the lower right corner is a view of the Rialto Bridge. In the center of the lagoon, in a small box, is an alphabetical legend (A-G) indicating regattas and boats. Additional toponymic indications concerning the islands are given on the table. The lower right corner reads: GOLFO DI VENETIA. Orientation in the four sides in the center with the names of the winds: TRAMONTANA, OSTRO, LEVANTE, PONENTE, north is at the top.

Perspective plan of Venice, undated, edited by Matteo Florimi. It is a faithful replica of Bernardo Salvioni's map, to which it is almost identical even in names and characters. The major differences are found in the lower part of the table where Florimi's excudit replaces that of Donato Rascicotti, while Salvioni's name under the Rialto Bridge disappears. The dedication to Francesco Morosini is also removed, with the result that the 38 toponymic references to the left of the procession are more spaced out than those to the right of it.

“The perspective plan of the city drawn and engraved by Bernardo Salvioni for the publisher Donato Rascicotti contains a depiction of the solemn entrance of Dogaressa Morosina Morosini into the Doge's Palace (1597). The plan is dedicated, probably not coincidentally, to a member of the Morosini family, Francesco, podestà of Feltre.  That Salvioni's target was to emphasize the celebrations for the dogaressa is confirmed by other elements in the panel, where in addition to the procession, the maritime festivities that took place during the event are depicted in front of San Giorgio with graphic synthesis. A legend composed of 7 cross-references, placed in the lagoon, contributes to the reading of the festivities represented. According to Schulz, the plan can be dated to the same 1597. No biographical information is available on Bernardo Salvioni, and this seems to be his only known work. It is rather rare, and the only example we have surveyed in public collections is the one preserved in the Museo Correr in Venice; perhaps it was not a great publishing success” (see Cartografia e Topografia Italiana del XVI secolo, p. 2486).

Etching and engraving, impressed on contemporary laid virgin paper with watermark "eagle in circle with crown" (similar to Woodward no. 64), with margins, restorations in lower and upper white margin, otherwise in very good condition.

Rare work, surveyed for only 8 institutional examples according Bifolco-Ronca (see Cartografia e Topografia Italiana del XVI secolo, p. 2494)

Matteo Florimi (Polistena c. 1540 - Siena 1613) was a publisher and merchant of books and prints. Of Calabrian origin, he settled in Siena in 1581, with a store “in Banchi”. Matteo Florimi's chalcographic activity was several times joined by master engravers such as Cornelis Galle, Arnoldo Arnoldi, Pieter de Iode, Jan Sadeler and artists such as Francesco Vanni, Ventura Salimbeni and Alessandro Casolani, with whom the printer collaborated in the preparation of religious subjects. Florimi's cartographic activity produced prints of many cities and territories around the world, which were never drawn for him, but were manipulations of already existing reliefs, or of maps published by other printers. In the second half of the sixteenth century, Florimi was far-sighted in devoting himself to the production of bird's-eye views of cities as faithfully as possible.  Florimi copied some maps by Antonio Lafreri, Claude Duchet, Abraham Ortelius. As far as map engraving work was concerned, in 1600, Matteo Florimi called the Flemish engraver Arnoldo degli Arnoldi to work in his workshop with the promise of greater compensation than that bestowed upon him by Giovanni Antonio Magini, with whom the artist was working. This offer by Florimi triggered the wrath of Magini, who, though not naming him, called him an "envious counterfeiter" for stealing such a skilled cartographer from him. The collaboration between Florimi and Arnoldi lasted only two years (1600-1602), but it was quite productive: together they printed the Stato di Siena, la Choronografia Tusciae, la Nuova descrittione della Lombardia, l’Europa, l’America and the Descrittione Universale della Terra.

Bibliografia

Bifolco-Ronca, Cartografia e Topografia Italiana del XVI secolo (2018), tav. 11275; Elisa Boffa, Un tipografo calabrese a Siena: Matteo Florimi, in “Accademia dei Rozzi” (2013): II, n. 30; H.A.M. van der Heijden, Matteo Florimi (+1613) – Landkarten und Stadtplanverleger in Siena, in “Florilegium Cartographicum”, Lipsia (1993): n. 47; Cassini (1971): p. 63; Moretto (2001): n. 42; Schulz (1970): pp. 59-60, n. 55.