EUROPE EGYPT SUEZ CANAL 1870ca VANNINI HUGE UNUSUAL ANTIQUE TRANSPORT WORLD MAP

Description: Striking and highly detailed very interesting huge large-format original lithographic map of the European territory with an indication of the railways and maritime routes.
 
The work was compiled and drawn by cartographer Ulisse Vannini based on the documents and knowledge of military expert and writer Cesare Vimercati. It was printed in Florence by “Litografia Toscana” shortly after the canal's inauguration, around 1870.
 
Historical Context and Geopolitical Significance:
 
The Transportation Revolution: The map celebrates the concurrence of two great pillars of 19th-century globalization: the rapid expansion of the European railway network (railways) and the opening of the Suez Canal (which occurred in late 1869).
 
Italy's Central Role: The work served to visually demonstrate how, thanks to the cutting of the isthmus, the Italian peninsula and its strategic ports (such as Brindisi, Venice, Ancona, and Genoa) had become the hub of maritime and trade routes between continental Europe and the East (the Indies).
 
Structure and Information Boxes: The main cartouche: Located on the right, it is set in an elegant oval and shows a bird's eye view of the Isthmus of Suez, with the route of the canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
 
Canal Section: Along the upper margin is a technical graph showing the longitudinal section of the Suez Canal, with data on lengths, depths, and slopes of the excavation works.
 
Geographic Boxes: The lower and upper quadrants contain secondary maps (insets) detailing the navigation routes in the Adriatic Sea, the Mediterranean routes, and global connections to the Indian Ocean.

Date: 1870 approx. ( undated )

Dimension: Paper size approx.: cm 105,4 x 76,7

Condition: Very strong and dark impression. Sheet dissected on 16 pieces and sticked. Sheet uncolored. Cartouche old original colored. Small foxing and browning. Map folded. Conditions are as you can see in the images.

Writer: Cesare Vimercati (fl. c. 1840 - 1870) was an Italian author, journalist, historian, and publisher active in the mid to late 19th century.