Provincia Ecclesiastica di Genova - G. Petri 1858

Map depicting the Ecclesiastical Province of Genoa, issued from “L’Orbe Cattolico ossia Atlante Geografico Storico Ecclesiastico...”. The composition relates to the Ligurian ecclesiastical territory and its diocesan divisions, structured according to nineteenth-century religious-administrative cartographic conventions.

The layout is defined by clarity and precision, with a detailed delineation of ecclesiastical boundaries, main settlements, and diocesan subdivisions. The engraved line, analytical and orderly, provides a systematic reading of the territory, balancing documentary function and visual presentation.

This example represents pontifical editorial production of its time and belongs to the tradition of ecclesiastical and administrative cartography, constituting a significant testimony to the territorial organization of the Catholic Church in the nineteenth century.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Art Historical Note
Girolamo Petri stands among the leading figures of nineteenth-century ecclesiastical cartography, distinguished by his documentary rigor and systematic representation of religious jurisdictions. His work reflects the need to accurately define the Church’s territorial hierarchy.

The map belongs to “L’Orbe Cattolico ossia Atlante Geografico Storico Ecclesiastico”, conceived as a geographical repertory of dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces of the Catholic world. Examples of this type, often intended for institutional and scholarly use, document the role of cartography in shaping and disseminating religious geography.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Technical Sheet
Type: Map
Author: G. Petri
Publisher: Tipografia della Reverenda Camera Apostolica
Place: Rome
Period: 1858-1859
Material: Paper
Technique: Etching
Decoration: Ecclesiastical divisions and title
Dimensions:
Sheet: 57 x 80.5 cm
Plate: 46 x 59 cm
Marks / signatures / inscriptions: Title “Provincia Ecclesiastica di Genova”; from “L’Orbe Cattolico...”

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Condition Report
Sheet in excellent overall condition.
No significant defects noted.
Engraved surface clear and well preserved.
Verso blank.