L´Hevetia o´Paese de Svizzeri…

Title

L´Hevetia o´Paese de Svizzeri…

Map shows total Switzerland

ca. 1686

Artist

Cantelli da Vignola (1643-1695)

Giacomo Cantelli (1643–1695) studied literature in Bologna and later became secretary to the Marquis of Ferrara, Obizzi. He moved to Venice, where he gained recognition as a geographer, and likely traveled to Paris as part of a Venetian diplomatic mission to the court of Louis XIV. In Paris, he connected with cartographers such as Guillaume Sanson, Jacques-André Duval, and Michel-Antoine Baudrand. After returning to Italy, he served as secretary to Count Rinieri Marescotti in Bologna and traveled extensively, including to Rome, where he met publisher Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi. In 1672, De Rossi began publishing Cantelli’s maps, starting with the Holy Land, the Kingdom of Persia, and regions of the Ottoman Empire. In 1680–1681, Cantelli’s maps of Upper and Lower Lombardy appeared in the Mercury Geographic Atlas in Rome, showing strong influence from Giovanni Antonio Magini’s cartographic style.

Historical Description

Since 1848, the Swiss Confederation has been a federal state of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of confederacy that goes back more than 700 years, putting them among the world's oldest surviving republics. The early history of the region is tied to that of Alpine culture. Switzerland was inhabited by Gauls and Raetians, and it came under Roman rule in the 1st century BC. Gallo-Roman culture was amalgamated with Germanic influence during Late Antiquity, with the eastern part of Switzerland becoming Alemannic territory. The area of Switzerland was incorporated into the Frankish Empire in the 6th century. In the high medieval period, the eastern part became part of the Duchy of Swabia within the Holy Roman Empire while the western part was part of Burgundy