Map of the Ancient Roman Countryside by Giovanni Battista Cingolani

This monumental cadastral map of the Agro Romano, comprising six sheets and almost two meters wide, depicts the Roman Campagna in the 17th century with extraordinary precision. Created by Giovanni Battista Cingolani della Pergola for the cadastre commissioned by Pope Alexander VII, it was first published in 1692 and reprinted in 1704 by Domenico de Rossi, with engravings entrusted to Pietro Paolo Girelli. The map records estates, farmhouses, roads, aqueducts, and reliefs, accompanied by a detailed land index listing over 400 properties with exact areas. Richly illustrated, it includes allegorical cartouches, marine deities, scientific instruments, and symbols of topographic knowledge.

Considered one of the most complete and artistically refined cadastral representations of its era, the work blends scientific rigor with Baroque beauty. Dedicated to Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli, the map reflects the political economy of the time, in which the Church relied on noble landowners for agricultural management and the food supply of Rome. Reprinted in 1770 and a source for important cartographers such as Giambattista Nolli, the Topografia Geometrica dell’Agro Romano remains a fundamental document for understanding land management and the visual culture of papal Rome in the early eighteenth century.

Material of unique quality

Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 40 x 30 cm
With frame: 43 x 33 cm
Material: work printed on very high-quality handmade Amalfi paper with frayed edges
Frame: Light brown, made of beech wood and handmade wood paste