Italy - Italy (Central and Central-Northern) Tuscany, Lazio, Umbria, Marche, Emilia-Romagna; Matthäus Merian il Vecchio (1593–1650), - STATO DELLA CHIESA, Con la Toscana. Herrschafften der Röm. Kirchen, vnd Grosshertzogthümb Florentz - 1621-1650

Splendid and emblematic geopolitical map of central Italy in the 17th century, titled 'State of the Church with Tuscany'. The work was engraved by Matthäus Merian to be inserted into the famous series of historical-geographical guides published in Frankfurt, among which the Itinerarium Italiae Nov-Antiquae.
The map is distinguished by its extraordinary iconographic richness and the accuracy with which it describes the territorial mosaic of the era, characterized by two great neighboring entities highlighted by the colors of contemporary watercolor:
• The State of the Church (Pontifical State), which extends from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Adriatic Sea, including Lazio, Umbria, Marche, the Duchy of Urbino and the Legations of Ferrara and Bologna.
• The Grand Duchy of Tuscany, under the rule of the Medici family, with its internally well-defined territories and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago (Elba, Giglio, Gorgona).
• Also clearly visible are smaller yet historically relevant entities, such as the Republic of Lucca, the Duchy of Castro and the Duchy of Modena.