The Gallery of Maps in the Vatican

Rating:
Summary: Renaissance building houses beautiful maps of Italy
Review: In 1580 Pope Gregory XIII commissioned this gallery with 42 large panels that represent Italy. Maps on the right side show the Adriatic side of the peninsula; those on the left side show the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian coasts. The quality of the paper and reproductions is excellent. Each map is discussed, and close-ups show the art and craft of the cartographers and artists. The author claims that this is the largest cycle of geographic images in Europe. This is a book to linger with; no matter your nationality, it may make you homesick.