Large map showing the northwestern sector of Italy and aims-as the title states-to highlight the Alpine arc and mountain passages between Italy and France, thus emphasizing the strategic and political value of this border area. Published in Paris in 1708 by Alexis Hubert Jaillot, the map renders a highly detailed landscape, with reliefs, waterways, towns, streets and political boundaries all combined with the aesthetic refinement typical of French Baroque cartography. This dualism is especially evident in the two large cartouches placed on the right margin of the map: at the top, the title cartouche; at the bottom, the scale of distances expressed in miles of Italy, France, Germany and Spain.The title and editorial indications cartouche is surmounted by the Latin motto \u201cNec pluribus impar\u201d (\u201cNot inferior to anyone\u201d), the personal emblem of Louis XIV, the Sun King. This is a clear statement of the political and cultural superiority of the French monarchy, which symbolically resonates throughout the map. On the sides, two winged putti hold heraldic coats of arms: that of Savoy and that of the Duchy of Milan, the two main political entities represented in the map, as if to emphasize their weight and influence in the geopolitical chessboard of the time.
\nA closer look reveals in the upper part of the cartouche a small but significant vignette: it shows wayfarers accompanied by a mule laboriously climbing along an alpine path. This pastoral scene evokes the harshness and at the same time the importance of transalpine connections at a time when mountain passes were routes of trade, culture, and conflict.The scale of distances is also enriched by figurative elements: two small human figures seem to be climbing among the rocks, while a little higher up we can see some ibexes, typical animals of the high alpine altitudes. These details, in addition to adding a lively and curious touch to the composition, confirm the focus on landscape and mountain life.
\nThe map is derived from drawings by the famous Sanson firm, founded by Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667), considered the father of modern French cartography. When Nicolas died, the business was continued by his sons-Nicolas II, Adrien and Guillaume-and later by his grandson Pierre Moullart Sanson. Also joining the firm in 1670 was Alexis Hubert Jaillot, a Parisian engraver and sculptor, who later became the official publisher of the Sanson family.<\/p>\n
Alexis-Hubert Jaillot (1632-1712<\/strong>) together with Nicholas Sanson (1600-1667) ushered in the great era of French cartography when in 1672 after the disastrous fire at the Blaeu publishing house cartographic production gradually shifted from Amsterdam to Paris. Hubert Jaillot was born in Franche-Comt\u00e9 in eastern France and trained as a sculptor but when he married the daughter of publisher Nicholas Berey, he found himself in the position of inheriting a profitable cartography and printing business. Upon the death of Nicholas Sanson, the leading French cartographer of the time, Jaillot negotiated with his heirs to republish much of Sanson’s work. Although not a cartographer, access to Sanson’s plates enabled Jaillot to publish numerous maps and atlases with aesthetic changes and topographical updates. As a sculptor and artist, Jaillot’s maps were particularly prized for their elaborate allegorical cartouches that simultaneously extolled the virtues of King Louis IV and his military and political triumphs.In 1686 he was given the title of Geographe du Roi<\/em>, which carried considerable prestige and a large annual salary. (Jaillot was one of the last French cartographers to acquire this title in fact Louis XV, once he ascended the throne, replaced the position with the more prestigious and singular title of Premier Geographe du Roi.) Jaillot died in Paris in 1712 and was succeeded by his son Bernard-Jean-Hyacinthe Jaillot (1673 – 1739), grandson Bernard-Antoine Jaillot (???? – 1749) and the latter’s brother-in-law, Jean Baptiste-Michel Renou de Chauvigne-Jaillot (1710 – 1780).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Large map showing the northwestern sector of Italy and aims-as the title states-to highlight the Alpine arc and mountain passages between Italy and France, thus emphasizing the strategic and political value of this border area. Published in Paris in 1708 by Alexis Hubert Jaillot, the map renders a highly detailed landscape, with reliefs, waterways, towns, streets and political boundaries all combined with the aesthetic refinement typical of French Baroque cartography. This dualism is especially evident…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":25391,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[1700,1708],"product_tag":[3014,6074],"class_list":["post-25392","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-lombardy","product_cat-piedmont-aosta-valley","product_tag-lombardia-en","product_tag-piedmont","pa_map-author-jaillot-alexis-hubert-en","pa_map-dimension-57-x-88-cm-en","pa_map-place-of-publication-parigi-en","pa_map-year-1708-en-3","first","outofstock","sold-individually","shipping-taxable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n