Ancient map of Pozzuoli, 1586

The 1586 map of Pozzuoli and the Bay of Naples, produced by Claudio Duchetti and engraved by Ambrosio Brambilla, is a finely detailed late-Renaissance cartographic and antiquarian document that blends topographical accuracy with an artistic, almost theatrical presentation of the ancient landscape. Designed during a period of intense humanist interest in Roman archaeology, the map surveys the volcanic coastline west of Naples—an area rich with classical monuments, thermal phenomena, and mythological associations. Brambilla’s engraving style, characterized by crisp linear work and careful shading, renders the hills, craters, and coastline of the Phlegraean Fields with vivid depth and a sense of lived terrain.

At the center of the image lies Pozzuoli, depicted with its prominent Roman remains, including the amphitheater, the so-called Temple of Serapis, sections of the ancient harbor, and the dense urban fabric that survived into the 16th century. The coastline is articulated with bays, promontories, and small islands, while fumaroles, volcanic vents, and steaming fields are carefully marked to signal the region’s unique geological character. To the north and west, Brambilla integrates landmarks such as the Solfatara crater, Lake Avernus, and the surrounding hills known from both classical literature and Renaissance antiquarian studies.

The map’s annotations and lettering, typical of Duchetti’s workshop, serve not only to identify major sites but also to disclose the antiquarian value of the region. Brambilla’s figures—ships at sea, travelers on roads, and miniature ruins—lend animation and narrative, reinforcing the area’s dual identity as both a natural landscape and an archaeological repository. The perspective, though not fully scientific in the modern sense, demonstrates a sophisticated attempt to balance pictorial clarity with geographic information.

Overall, the Duchetti–Brambilla Pozzuoli–Naples map functions simultaneously as a visual guide, a collector’s print, and a document of early archaeological documentation. It captures the intersection of art, science, and historical curiosity that defined late-16th-century Italian cartography and preserves a compelling snapshot of one of the most culturally layered landscapes of the ancient Mediterranean.