A delightful small map of Lake Maggiore published in Milan in 1844 by Luigi Zucoli as part of the “Nuovissima guida dei viaggiatori in Italia” (The Very Latest Guide for Travelers in Italy), which represents a fascinating example of a historical and cartographic document that successfully blends scientific precision with the needs of the emerging elite tourism industry. Finely engraved on copper, the map depicts the Verbano region as a frontier area divided between Switzerland to the north, Piedmont to the west, and Austrian Lombardy to the east, while simultaneously highlighting the modernization of transportation during the Restoration era, catering to the cultured audience of Grand Tour travelers and the emerging industrial bourgeoisie.
In the upper right corner, immediately below the date (1844) and the measurement scales (expressed in hours/minutes, geographical miles, and meters), there is a highly interesting note that reads as follows:
«La Linea punteggiata nell’interno del lago rappresenta la via che segue il Battello nelle giornate di nebbia: ella è stata calcolata e delineata da Pietro Miani Macchinista del Battello, incaricato di dirigere la Macchina a vapore del Verbano, che è della forza di XIV Cavalli». (“The dotted line within the lake represents the route followed by the steamboat on foggy days:
it was calculated and drawn by Pietro Miani, the steamboat’s engineer, who was in charge of operating the Verbano’s steam engine, which has a power of 14 horsepower.”)
This note is of great documentary interest for several reasons:
– Lake Maggiore, due to its shape and the presence of thermal currents, has historically been prone to sudden fog banks. The “dotted line” visible along the lake’s longitudinal axis (from Magadino and Locarno in the north to Arona and Sesto Calende in the south) constitutes a veritable “instrumental route” ahead of its time, mathematically calculated to avoid shoals, islands (such as the Borromean Islands, carefully outlined), and collisions with the shore.
– Pietro Miani, “Boat Engineer,” is explicitly mentioned. In 1844, the role of a marine engineer was a cutting-edge profession, comparable to that of a modern high-tech engineer. Miani did not merely operate the vessel but acted as a scientist and hydrographer, charting a safe course for the Verbano.
– The reference to the steam engine with a power of “XIV Horsepower” provides valuable technical data on the first steamships that plied the lake, such as the famous “Verbano” (launched in 1826) or its immediate successors operated by the company founded by
Piedmontese and Swiss, symbols of the first industrial revolution that united the Lombard and Piedmontese shores even before the unification of Italy.
At the top, a simple legend classifies the roads into three categories: Strada Postale (major international thoroughfares), Strada rotabile (for carts), and Strada cavalcabile. This allowed travelers to plan their connections once they disembarked from the steamship. The map includes all the major coastal hubs for 19th-century trade and tourism: Locarno, Cannobio, Luino, Laveno, Intra, Palanza (Pallanza), Stresa (with the three Borromean Islands: Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Isola Superiore), Angera, and Arona.
