Von dem Cumer See. 457 / Larius Lacus.

Title

Von dem Cumer See. 457 / Larius Lacus.

Description

Map shows Lake Como, engraved by Petrus Kaerius. This map of Lake Como first appeared in the 1598 edition of Langenes Caert-Thresoor published in Middelburg. It was later republished by Bertius in his Tabularum Geographicarum from 1600. The total number of editions of this map between 1598 and 1650 amounted to no less than 12 editions in the two works of Langenes and Bertius.

ca. 1612

Artist

Bertius (1565-1629)

Petrus Bertius (1565 -1629) was a Flemish theologian, historian, geographer and cartographer, He grew up in Beveren (Flanders). In 1593 he was appointed mathematics professor and librarian of the University of Leyden. His main cartographic work includes a miniature world atlas of 1600, a pocket atlas of the German Empire of 1616 with 26 engraved maps and 101 city views, a version of the Geographia of Ptolemy with 28 maps by Mercator and 14 maps from the Parergon of Ortelius of 1618, but he is known today as a cartographer with his edition of the Geographia of Ptolemy (based on Mercator's edition of 1578) and for his atlas.

Historical Description

Lake Como is one of the northern Italian lakes. It lies entirely in the Lombardy region. Characteristic are the numerous small villages on the shore, many of which have retained their own character to this day. Many of the villas date back to the 15th century, when the inhabitants of the region became wealthy thanks to silkworm breeding and the resulting silk industry. During the Napoleonic era, the Vice President of the Italian Republic Francesco Melzi d'Eril built Villa Melzi.