Alessandro Baratta, Fidelissimae urbis Neapolitanae cum onmibus viis accurata et nova delineatio, Neapel 1670, digital annotierter Plan, DOI: https://doi.org/10.48431/maps.napoli.baratta (Detail)

Editing Naples

In the Editing Naples project, historical maps and views of Naples are digitized and digitally annotated with information from their respective legends. The topographical information in the printed legend can be called up directly by touching the object with the cursor.

Alternatively, the objects can be found on a digital legend, which appears on the left side of the page. The monuments are color coded according to their specific function – a feature that can be turned on or off accordingly. Likewise, the information provided in the legend can be visible or hidden as desired. The zoom function offers a closer look at the details of the maps, enabling a more in-depth view of a selected section. However, the fact that one can and must select the section to view themselves, prevents the loss of context that occurs when confronting specific details in print. 
The aim of this project is to establish an understanding of the overall map view, both in terms of the maps’ compositions and their many details, which inform each other through reciprocal interaction. The digital processing of historical maps therefore offers new insights by providing multiple and varied perspectives on the historical printed product. In this sense, the maps can be maneuvered, viewed, and studied in ways that are not made possible when accessing the original printed form.

Detailed medieval map illustrating a city layout with fortified walls and dense urban structures.
The very title of this first copper engraved plan of Naples announces its claim to be a "most true representation" of the city.  more
Detailed map shows a fortified structure surrounded by trees and pathways.
The plan engraved by Étienne Du Perac and printed by Antoine Lafréry proved more successful than its predecessor (Theti 1560) because of its almost true-to-scale representation and not least because of its aesthetically attractive presentation. more
Medieval fortress surrounded by rugged hills and distant mountains.
The atmospheric drawing by the Dutch artist Jan van Stinemolen, which shows Naples from the unusual perspective of the northeast (and hence from the countryside), combines high topographical detail with suggestive effects of landscape painting. more
Detailed engraving of a fortified castle surrounded by a dense cityscape, with four large towers.
Alessandro Baratta's plan is characterized by its prominent title, a particularly detailed design of the individual buildings, and extensive paratexts.  more
Historical map section with streets and numbered buildings.
The closest approach to modern maps is the plan of the Duca di Noja, surveyed with the greatest technical effort, which completely dispenses with axonometry and any form of elevation.  more
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