Italy - Covolo di Butistone, Valsugana, Brenta, Primolano, Cismon del Grappa, Veneto / Trentino; Matthäus Merian (1593 - 1650) - Kofel - 1621-1650

This map or artistic engraving, attributed to Matthäus Merian and dating from 1621 to 1650, features a portion of Northern Italy encompassing Covolo di Butistone, the Valsugana valley, Brenta river, Primolano village, and Cismon del Grappa area, spanning regions of Veneto and Trentino. These locales are situated in a mountainous and riverine landscape known for its natural beauty and strategic significance. The Brenta river valley historically served as an important route connecting the plains to the alpine regions. Covolo di Butistone and Primolano are small localities nestled amid the northern Italian mountains, which have cultural and economic roles linked to forestry, agriculture, and river transport. Matthäus Merian was renowned for detailed and finely engraved topographical representations, providing valuable historical records of landscapes, settlements, and fortifications of his time. Collectors and historians find such engravings instructive for understanding early 17th-century land use, settlement patterns, and the interplay of natural geography and human habitation in the Veneto-Trentino borderlands.