Greuter was born in Strasbourg in 1566, learning engraving in that city; he continued his craft in Lyon and Avignon, and finally settled in Rome around 1610. Greuter's time in Rome is best remembered for the production of numerous fine globes, which were of such high quality that Stevenson notes that: "he is entitled to rank with the leading globemakers of the Netherlands". However, he also published several fine wall maps, including a plan of Rome in 1618, another of Mantua in 1629, and a map of Italy - the present map - in 1630.

Greuter's map of Italy proved so popular that it was reissued several times. First, in Venice by S. Scolari in 1657; then by P.Tedeschi and G. Longhi, Bologna, 1676; and then by D. De Rossi, Rome, in 1695.

The present example would appear to be a later unrecorded example issued by Tedeschi and Longhi in 1713.