France - Italy; M. Brion - L’Italie divisée en tous ses États et en ses principales subdivisions - 1781-1800

Hand-engraved and hand-colored copper plate depicting Italy in the pre-unification era, divided into its multiple states and domains according to the political configuration of the second half of the eighteenth century. The decorative rocaille-style frame, richly engraved, encloses the entire composition and includes an elegant cartouche at the top right with the title and references to the author and engraver.
The map clearly shows the main political entities of the time: the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Duchy of Savoy, the Republic of Venice, the State of the Church, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, the Duchy of Modena, the Republic of Genoa, the Kingdom of Naples, and Sicily. The borders of the states are highlighted with colored lines, while the dense toponymy lists cities, rivers, mountain ranges, gulfs, and historical regions.
At the bottom, a box appears with an additional map of Sicily and the surrounding islands, useful for a more detailed view of southern Italy. The geographic grid follows the French tradition and uses longitude from the Île de Fer meridian.
On the side margins, there are contemporary handwritten annotations, probably geographical notes, educational comments, or observations taken from study texts.
Overall, the map provides an accurate representation of Italy before the Napoleonic era and unification, constituting a valuable cartographic document of great historical interest. The print is in good condition as shown in the photo.