Der südliche Theil des Koenigreichs Albanien mit der Landschaft Thessalien. Nro 22.

Title

Der südliche Theil des Koenigreichs Albanien mit der Landschaft Thessalien. Nro 22.

Description

Map shows the southern part of Albania with the island of Sasan, Corfu, a mileage scale and a title cartouche. From the atlas ‘Schauplatz der fünf Theile der Welt’.

ca. 1791

Artist

Reilly (1766-1820)

Franz Johann Joseph von Reilly (1766 - 1820) Vienna. Franz Johann Joseph von Reilly was an Austrian publisher, cartographer and writer. He was born the son of the court master Johann Reilly. He initially worked in the civil service, but then devoted himself exclusively to geography. From 1789 to 1806, he produced the atlas Schauplatz der fünf Theile der Welt, which only covers Europe on its 830 sheets. After the Schul Atlas (1791-92) and the Allgemeine Erdbeschreibung (3 volumes, 1792-93), he published the first (complete) Austrian world atlas entitled Grosser deutscher Atlas from 1794 to 1796. In 1796, he produced the series Geschichtliche und bildliche Vorstellung der Regimenter des Erzhauses Oesterreich (Historical and Pictorial Presentation of the Regiments of the Archduke of Austria), and in 1799 the Allgemeine Post Atlas von der ganzen Welt (General Postal Atlas of the Whole World) - the first atlas of its kind in the world.

Historical Description

At the end of the 3rd century BC, Albania fell under Roman influence and the Romanisation of the Illyrians began. With the partition of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, present-day Albania came under Byzantine rule. In 591, the Slavs invaded the area from the north, and plundering followed throughout the Balkans. Between 880 and 1018, central and southern Albania were part of the Bulgarian Empire. In 1081, the Normans invaded Albania, which was under Byzantine rule. In 1190, the Archon of Kruja, Progon, was the first Albanian to found a principality, Arbanon. In 1443-1468, the Prince of Kruja, Skanderbeg, successfully led the defensive struggle against the Ottomans. After his death, however, the Albanians and their allies were defeated, and from the end of the 15th century the whole country was part of the Ottoman Empire for more than four centuries. During this time, most Albanians converted to Islam. In 1912, during the Balkan Wars, Albanian independence was proclaimed.