The rare first issue of Blaeu’s plan of Catania in fine original colour

A splendid example of this map-view of Catania, showing the city's defensive walls, with a 46-point key underneath. Behind the volcano Etna smokes. This example, which has particularly fine contemporary hand colour, comes from the first issue of Blaeu's Townbook, the 'Thatrum Civitatum Nec Non Admorandorum Neapolis et Sicilear Regnorm', published in 1663. Six years after the publication of this view the city was threatened by the 1669 eruption of Etna. Initially much of the lava was diverted into the sea by the city walls but after two weeks it topped the walls and reached 200 metres inside the city. The eruption continued for 122 days, Etna's longest.