A rare example of Girolamo Bell’Armato’s important early map of Tuscany, published in Venice by Bertelli and Forlani.

Bell’Armato’s map, originally published in 1536, is the earliest known printed map of Tuscany and was a significant achievement in the field of cartography. Bell’Armato was born in Siena in 1493, and his four-sheet map of Tuscany was a pioneering work in the region.

Paolo Forlani, who flourished in Venice around 1560-1571, was a prolific map engraver. Not much is known about his life except for his surviving maps and prints, of which there are nearly 100, including later states. Forlani also created a globe and two town books. It is believed that he was from Verona and passed away in Venice in the mid-1570s, potentially due to the plague.