Lucca, Tuscany by Matthäus Merian (1638) is a masterful city portrait that fuses Renaissance order with medieval memory. From its exacting depiction of the ring of fortified walls and the broad moat to the lucid rendering of streets converging upon civic spaces, the plan captures the Republic of Lucca at the height of its independence. Merian anchors the composition with the Cathedral of St. Martin and the oval Piazza dell’Anfiteatro—an urban space born from a Roman amphitheater and still legible here in its distinctive contour. As a city map, it is remarkable for the way it lays bare the logic of a living polity: ceremonial centers, markets, workshops, and bastions all interlocked within an elegantly symmetrical enceinte.

The fortifications command immediate attention. Lucca’s bastioned polygon—artillery-era engineering at its most refined—unfurls as a choreography of curtains, angular bulwarks, and a capacious moat, each element calibrated to deflect and absorb attack. Merian’s composition emphasizes the mathematical harmony of the walls, a Renaissance ideal applied to defense, while also revealing the practicalities of control: outworks and glacis, the clear sweep of firing lines, and the measured intervals of gates punctuating the circuit. Beyond the ramparts, the open plain underscores the city’s strategic siting on the Serchio basin; within, the secure interior testifies to a government that invested in enduring, meticulous protection of commerce and civic life.

Within this protective ring, the street plan is a study in historical layers. Medieval lanes—Via Buia, Via dei Fogli, and Via delle Monache—thread intimately between parish churches and cloisters, while broader Renaissance spines such as Via Larga and Via di Mezzo impose clarity and flow. Merian’s labeling records the city’s working anatomy: Via della Zecca speaks to minting and governance; Via del Sarto to specialized crafts; Via del Giardino and Via della Rodia hint at gardens, orchards, and irrigation. The urban fabric coheres around nodal spaces: the cathedral precinct; the market radiating from the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro’s graceful ellipse; and administrative courts embedded among guild streets. As a document of urban design, it reveals how circulation, trade, and ritual were elegantly choreographed inside the walls.

Landmarks rise with sculptural clarity. The Cathedral of St. Martin, with its commanding campanile, anchors processional routes and civic identity, while a constellation of churches and public buildings articulate neighborhood life across the quarters. The palatial residence later known as Palazzo Pfanner appears within the dense western fabric, signposting patrician culture and the city’s cultivated domestic gardens. Merian lingers on courtyards, cloisters, and bell towers, recording not just facades but the volumes of space that shaped daily rhythms. Parks as such are scarce in this era, yet greenery softens the urban core—kitchen plots, monastic gardens, and tree-lined margins—while water’s presence, from moat to channels, underwrites sanitation, defense, and industry.

Matthäus Merian—one of the 17th century’s most influential engravers and cartographers—brings his hallmark precision to this Italian jewel. Celebrated for his city views and atlases, he unites empirical survey with refined artistry: crisp linework, balanced composition, and judicious use of color to clarify hierarchies of wall, street, and square. In Lucca, Tuscany, he captures a sovereign city whose strength in trade and governance was matched by its architectural poise. For historians, the map is a time-stamped ledger of early modern urbanism; for collectors, it is a tour de force of Renaissance geometry made legible. It remains a notably instructive city map—revealing, at a glance, how form, function, and fortification cohere into a resilient civic whole.

Streets and roads on this map

• Via Bacchetto
• Via Buia
• Via dei Fogli
• Via del Giardino
• Via Larga
• Via di Mezzo
• Via delle Monache
• Via della Rodia
• Via della Storia
• Via del Sarto
• Via della Zecca

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Cathedral of St. Martin (Duomo di San Martino)
• Fortified walls
• Moat
• Piazza dell'Anfiteatro
• Palazzo Pfanner
• Various churches and public buildings

Historical and design context

• Created by: Matthäus Merian
• Publication Year: 1638
• Mapmaker Context: Merian was a notable 17th-century cartographer and engraver, famous for his detailed maps and work on various atlases during the Renaissance.
• Historical Context: Reflects Renaissance architectural style blending with medieval fortifications, showcasing Lucca's rich history.
• Themes and Topics: Emphasizes military architecture (fortified walls and moat), urban design, and architectural heritage, with features like the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro and the Cathedral of St. Martin.
• Design and Style: Detailed urban layout with a focus on symmetry and color, emphasizing the city's fortifications and street layout.
• Historical Significance: Represents Lucca’s defense strategies against invasions and reflects its significance as a center of trade and governance during the Renaissance.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.