Italy - Duchy of Ferrara /Comacchio Valleys/ Ferrara, Rovigo, Adria, Comacchio, Stellata, Bondeno,; Johannes Cóvens e Corneille Mortier - Le Cours du Po dans le Duché de Ferrare et les États de Venise - 1721-1750

This sheet is part of a celebrated and monumental five-sheet series that continuously describes the entire course of the Po River, from its sources in the Alps to its estuary in the Adriatic Sea.
• Placement in the series: It is the 5th and final sheet (Eastern Sheet / Po Delta), historically the most sought-after and decorative of the entire series thanks to the rich iconography of the cartouches and the hydrological complexity of the delta.
• The complete series constitutes one of the supreme masterpieces of European river cartography of the 18th century and is cataloged in the world’s most important collections (including the David Rumsey Map Collection).

Historical-Critical Description

Splendid and extremely detailed map focusing on the final stretch of the Po River, meticulously charting the Duchy of Ferrara, the Polesine of Rovigo, the Bologna and Comacchio area, the lagoons and southern territories of the Republic of Venice (States of Venice) up to the mouth in the Gulf of Venice (Adriatic).
The map represents the apex of collaboration between French geographical engineering (the Augustinian Father Placide, ordinary geographer to the King of France) and the editorial excellence of the Dutch Golden Age (Cövens and Mortier). The level of detail of the Delta, with its valleys (Sacca di Goro, Valle di Maila, etc.), the land reclamations (Nuove Bonifiche), the drainage works and the marshes, offers a unique historical-environmental snapshot of the Po Valley before the great modern transformations.

State of Preservation

A superb exemplar. Clear and strong impression on heavy and sound 18th-century laid paper. Presents the usual central editorial fold.