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The Gallery of Maps in the Vatican |
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When in Rome, do as Pope Gregory XIII did,
and steep yourself in the early history of Italy through a series of 40 intricate, charming maps designed by Egnazio Danti in 1580 for the Vatican Palace.
According to Lucio Gambi, the author of this definitive text, Danti "was assisted by
a throng of painters and stuccoworkers" in completing the work.
The maps, which line a mammoth 20-by-400-foot hallway, are more like bird's-eye views,
with sailing ships, soldiers' tents, medieval battlements, and cypress trees dotting the hillsides.
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