Provincia Rhegii cum Confinijs - J. Montecalerio 1649

Map depicting the Provincia Rhegii cum Confinijs, issued from “Chorographica descriptio provinciarum et conventuum Fratrum Minorum S. Francisci Capucinorum...”. The composition relates to the region of Reggio and its surrounding territories, structured according to seventeenth-century cartographic conventions, with emphasis on administrative and religious divisions.

The layout is defined by clarity and precision, with a delineation of settlements, road networks, and territorial boundaries. The engraved line, analytical and precise, provides an ordered reading of the space, balancing documentary function and visual presentation.

This example represents Italian editorial production of its time and belongs to the tradition of religious and descriptive cartography, constituting a significant testimony to the territorial organization of the Capuchin order.

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Art Historical Note
Johannes Montecalerio stands among the authors active in seventeenth-century religious cartography, distinguished by his systematic representation of monastic provinces and territorial structures. His work reflects the need to document and organize the geographical presence of religious institutions.

The map belongs to “Chorographica descriptio provinciarum et conventuum Fratrum Minorum S. Francisci Capucinorum”, conceived as a geographical repertory of Capuchin provinces. Examples of this type, relatively uncommon, document the role of cartography in the dissemination of ecclesiastical structures.

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Technical Sheet
Type: Map
Author: Johannes Montecalerio
Publisher: Alessandro Federico Cavalleri
Place: Turin
Period: 1649
Material: Paper
Technique: Etching
Decoration: Title and territorial divisions
Dimensions:
Sheet: 27 x 35 cm
Plate: 22 x 31.5 cm
Marks / signatures / inscriptions: Title “Provincia Rhegii cum Confinijs”; from “Chorographica descriptio...”

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Condition Report
Sheet in very good overall condition.
Minor age-related signs, if any.
Engraved surface clear and well preserved.
Verso blank.