• presentation of the map reproduction without a frame
  • Vintage map of a city with red-roofed buildings and green spaces
  • Vintage map detail showing a river and buildings on aged paper
  • Close-up of a textured beige surface with a square cutout
  • Close-up of a textured beige corner with a white background
  • Close-up of a vintage map with a grid pattern and color swatches.
  • Close-up of a textured beige surface with a corner and a black line.
1 7

Ancient view of Lucca, Tuscany, 1638

SKU:  195227

Ancient view of Lucca, Tuscany, 1638

€59,01 EUR
€59,01 EUR
Sale Ausverkauft
inkl. MwSt. Versand wird beim Checkout berechnet

The 1638 view of Luca (Lucca) by Matthäus Merian the Elder is a finely executed city portrait that exemplifies the precision and elegance of seventeenth-century European topographical engraving. Part of Merian’s celebrated body of city views, the image presents Lucca as a fortified Renaissance city, defined by order, symmetry, and civic pride.

Lucca is shown from an elevated, panoramic perspective that allows the viewer to comprehend both its urban structure and its surrounding landscape. The city’s most striking feature, its massive bastioned walls, forms a near-perfect geometric enclosure. These modern fortifications, constructed in the sixteenth century, are rendered with exceptional clarity, emphasizing Lucca’s strategic foresight and its commitment to defense without sacrificing urban harmony. Outside the walls, cultivated fields, gardens, and waterways illustrate the city’s agricultural prosperity and close relationship with the countryside.

Within the walls, Lucca appears densely built yet orderly. Church towers, civic palaces, and convents rise above tightly packed roofs, creating a vertical rhythm that guides the eye across the urban fabric. Notable landmarks, such as the cathedral of San Martino and prominent piazzas, are carefully distinguished, reflecting Merian’s attention to architectural hierarchy and urban identity. Streets are implied rather than fully mapped, reinforcing the view’s pictorial character while maintaining geographic coherence.

Merian’s engraving balances documentary accuracy with artistic refinement. Fine linework, subtle shading, and careful perspective give the scene depth and clarity, while small figures and activity in the surrounding landscape lend a sense of scale and life. The overall impression is one of stability and self-contained strength.

As a historical document, Luca conveys Lucca’s status as an independent republic in the early modern period—secure, prosperous, and well-governed. It stands as both a visual record and an idealized representation of a city shaped by Renaissance urban planning and civic tradition.

Find more maps of Matthäus Merian

Materials

Cotton canvas, matte photo paper, fine art paper, pigmented inks.

  • The canvas it's 99 % cotton, 450 gr/sqm;
  • The matte photo paper it's acid-free (archival paper), 190 gr/sqm;
  • The fine art photo paper it's satinated (semi-glossy), 140 gr/sqm.

Shipping & Returns

Dispatching time: 1-2 days.

* Standard shipping fee: The orders will be sent by priority registered mail, usually via client National Post (USPS, Canada Post, Royal Mail, LaPoste, Deutsche Post, PostNL, etc). The delivery times are not guaranteed, sometimes it will take longer and these are beyond our control. Tracking number will be provided. Clients from US and Canada cannot track the parcels as the tracking numbers are not rolled in USPS and Canada Post systems.

* UPS standard: The orders will be sent with UPS expedited option. The delivery time it's between 5-11 days. Tracking number will be provided after dispatch.

* UPS express: The orders will be sent with UPS express saver. The delivery time it's between 4-7 days. Tracking number will be provided after dispatch.

Framing tips

Both type of materials, paper and canvas prints come rolled and will be need to be taken to your local framers.

The image it's printed with a border of 0.6 " (1.5 cm), for framing purposes only.

If you have already a frame, be sure you send us the exact size of the print that will fit inside the frame. We're printing on vectorial plotters so the size could slightly be more or less with 0.4" (1 cm).

If you plan to have the canvas print stretched on wooden frame, you'll need additional border, so please let us know after placing the order.

The images above was cropped from the image at the biggest size available (keeping the best quality and aspect /ratio), so, for good details please choose biggest dimensions that will suit your preferences / space.

Care Instructions

The print media (canvas or photo paper) could be cleaned only with a dry, soft cloth.

Vollständige Details anzeigen

Wine maps

Explore the rich history of wine through centuries-old maps. Dive into the heritage, culture, and geography of wine regions with our collection of vintage wine maps.

These meticulously preserved historical treasures offer a window into the evolution of viticulture, showcasing how wine regions have transformed over the centuries.

  • Gastronomic maps

    Dive into a world of culinary exploration with our collection of gastronomic maps – your passport to gastronomic adventures like no other. Discover the intricate art of cheese-making and the exquisite world of gourmet delights through our meticulously curated Cheese Maps and Gastronomic Maps.

  • Empires maps

    Travel through history as you explore the territorial expanse, conquests, and cultural influences of some of the world's most powerful civilizations. Our antique maps bring the epic tales of empires to life, offering a captivating glimpse into the rise and fall of these extraordinary realms. See all empires maps >