A rare lifetime printing of Blaeu’s view of Vesuvius erupting in 1631

A view of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1631 (not 1630 as in the key), the first for three hundred years, which killed between 3,000 and 4,000 people and reduced the height of the summit by 450 metres. It shows lava setting Torre del Greco on fire, with people fleeing across the Ponte della Maddalena (here 'Pons la Nunciuata'). A rare first printing, with text on reverse. There were reissues by Moetjens and then Mortier and Alberts, by which time the bottom left corner of the plate had snapped off, affecting the first column of the key.