Descritione di parte del Piemonte e Monferato - G. Frattino 1704

📜 Description
Engraved geographical map depicting a portion of Piedmont and Monferrato, published in Milan in 1704 by Giulio Carlo Frattino, officer of the General Commissariat of the Army of His Catholic Majesty. The plate represents the territory between Piedmont, Monferrato, and the State of Milan according to a compositional structure consistent with early 18th-century military and administrative cartography. The image highlights with remarkable precision alpine reliefs, waterways, settlements, territorial boundaries, and the principal strategic routes, providing an analytical and functional representation of north-western Italian territory. The engraved line, sharp and meticulously detailed, enhances the clarity of the geographical reading and balances documentary purpose with formal elegance. A representative example of Lombard scientific and military cartography of the period, the map stands as a significant testimony to the territorial representation of Piedmont and Monferrato at the beginning of the 18th century.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Giulio Carlo Frattino, active in Milan between the 17th and 18th centuries, distinguished himself through the production of cartographic works connected to the strategic and administrative representation of territory. The map was “delineated for the service of the General Commissariat of the Army of His Catholic Majesty,” a detail underscoring its technical and military function in addition to its descriptive purpose. The engraved intervention by Durelli contributes to the clear and legible rendering of the cartographic composition. Examples of this type testify to the central role of cartography in territorial administration and strategic planning in early modern northern Italy.

🧾 Technical Details
Title: Descritione di parte del Piemonte e Monferato
Type: Geographical map
Author: Giulio Carlo Frattino
Engraver: Durelli
Publisher: not indicated
Place: Milan
Date: 1704
Material: Paper
Technique: Copperplate etching
Decoration: Cartographic layout with topographical elements and territorial boundaries
Dimensions:
Sheet: 41 × 50.5 cm
Engraved area: 32 × 42 cm

🔍 Condition Report
Sheet in excellent overall condition. No significant defects noted. Engraved surface well impressed and clearly legible. Blank verso.