Urbis Romae Topographia
Title
Urbis Romae Topographia
Alternative Title
Topography of the City of Rome
Description
The Urbis Romae Topographia written by Bartolomeo Marliani in 1544, is a book exploring the city of Rome and includes maps that depict the city. In the beginning of the book there is a broad map of Rome that highlights the main geographical areas in the walled city. The most detailed map in the Urbis Romae is the Urbis Romae Topographia. On the map the walls of the city are drawn from a birds eye view along with roads into the city center. The mountains are drawn with a good degree of detail, given the general shape and name of each one in the surrounding area. The rivers are depicted with wavy lines and have bridges drawn across them and the proportions of the map are relatively accurate.
In the top left corner of the map, there is a legend explaining common abbreviations on the map, which were used because of the constraints of the spaces on the map. Among these abbreviations is Am. (Amphiteatru) amphitheater which is drawn on the map as with the writing Am. Titi. around it signifying the Amphitheater of Titus. Some of the only other structures drawn on the map are labeled Th. Antoniana, Th. Dioclitiani and just Th. which stands for Thermae, meaning hot baths. F (Forum) forum, B (Basilica) basilica, Car (Carcer) prison and S (Sepulcrum) tomb are also marked on the map. In the lower left corner of the page there is an author's notes saying, “Io bap palatinus haec scripsit”, which loosely translates to "Io Bao Palatinus wrote these things”.
During the Renaissance there was a drastic increase in the creation of city maps. There was a new demand for topographical information and a desire to more accurately represent spatial relations. Cities in particular gained geographical interest as they became centers of political, cultural and economic life in the 16th century. Individual images of cities were often produced and dispersed by governments or commercial organizations as propaganda to show how great their city was. These were often woodcuts or engravings.
During this time period, the way people view space when drawing changed leading to artistic and architectural developments. Some of these new techniques include linear perspective, geometric land surveys, triangulation techniques and the use of theodolites when mapping spaces. The Urbis Romae Topographia was the first map to be published that represented a city orthogonally, utilizing perpendicular angles. Due to the difficulty of mapping streets, it is very rare for maps in the 16th century to be designed in this way.
(Molly Horstman Olson 2027)
In the top left corner of the map, there is a legend explaining common abbreviations on the map, which were used because of the constraints of the spaces on the map. Among these abbreviations is Am. (Amphiteatru) amphitheater which is drawn on the map as with the writing Am. Titi. around it signifying the Amphitheater of Titus. Some of the only other structures drawn on the map are labeled Th. Antoniana, Th. Dioclitiani and just Th. which stands for Thermae, meaning hot baths. F (Forum) forum, B (Basilica) basilica, Car (Carcer) prison and S (Sepulcrum) tomb are also marked on the map. In the lower left corner of the page there is an author's notes saying, “Io bap palatinus haec scripsit”, which loosely translates to "Io Bao Palatinus wrote these things”.
During the Renaissance there was a drastic increase in the creation of city maps. There was a new demand for topographical information and a desire to more accurately represent spatial relations. Cities in particular gained geographical interest as they became centers of political, cultural and economic life in the 16th century. Individual images of cities were often produced and dispersed by governments or commercial organizations as propaganda to show how great their city was. These were often woodcuts or engravings.
During this time period, the way people view space when drawing changed leading to artistic and architectural developments. Some of these new techniques include linear perspective, geometric land surveys, triangulation techniques and the use of theodolites when mapping spaces. The Urbis Romae Topographia was the first map to be published that represented a city orthogonally, utilizing perpendicular angles. Due to the difficulty of mapping streets, it is very rare for maps in the 16th century to be designed in this way.
(Molly Horstman Olson 2027)
Creator
Giovanni Bartolomeo Marliani
Source
Marliani, Bartolomeo. Vrbis Romae topographia : B. Marliani ad Franciscvm regem Gallorvm eivsdem vrbis liberatorem invictvm. Adiec︠ta︡ priori eiusdem auc︠to︡ris topographiæ editioni in hoc opere sunt. Vrbis, atque insignium in ea ædificiorum descriptiones, compluràque alia memoratu digna. Errores nonnulli sublati. Tituli, inscriptionèsque non aliter, quàm ipsis inerant marmoribus, emendatissime expressi, qui ab alijs hactenus neglec︠to︡ ordine, & perperam in lucē editi inueniuntur. Colophon: Romæ: [in ædibus Valerij, Dorici, & Aloisij fratris, Academiæ romanæ impressorum, mense setembris], 1544.
Format
Map in book
Date
1544
Medium
wood cut
Contributor
Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Language
Latin
Type
City map
Spatial Coverage
City of Rome
References
Ballon, Hilary, and David Friedman. n.d. “27 • Portraying the City in Early Modern Europe: Measurement, Representation, and Planning.” Accessed August 13, 2024. https://press.uchicago.edu/books/hoc/HOC_V3_Pt1/HOC_VOLUME3_Part1_chapter27.pdf.
Rights
Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
Collection
Citation
Giovanni Bartolomeo Marliani , “Urbis Romae Topographia,” Mapping the World, accessed April 30, 2025, https://hist231.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/65.