Piante di Popoli e Strade

The Pianta di Popoli e Strade dei Capitani di Parte Guelfa or “Plan of Peoples and Roads of the Captains of the Guelf Party” is an incredibly significant document attesting to the growing field of cartography in the 16th century. This document represents the first systematic attempt to create a scale atlas of Florentine territory and is stored in the State Archives of Florence today. It takes the form of 49 watercolors that depict roads, waterways, and faithful axonometric depictions of villages, villas, churches, monasteries, rural buildings, tabernacles, and more. These maps, created at the end of the 16th century, are remarkable for both their accuracy and their artistry.