The National Library of Spain (BNE) and the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) proudly present this joint publication dedicated to the monumental 1687 map of Catalonia created by Ambrosio Borsano. This manuscript wall map, preserved for centuries in the royal library and now safeguarded by the BNE, is a cartographic gem that is finally made accessible to the general public through this edition.

Ambrosio Borsano (Milan, 1633 – Guissona, 1708), a military engineer in the service of the Spanish monarchy, devoted twelve years to the creation of this map, which he offered to King Charles II with the hope that it would one day be printed. The result is a work of significant documentary value, meticulously detailing the toponymy, hydrography, road network, and territorial boundaries of seventeenth-century Catalonia. In the map itself, the author notes that he was assigned to Catalonia in 1673 and travelled extensively throughout the region for over a decade to complete it.

With its impressive dimensions (238 x 293 cm), the original map is difficult to exhibit. Therefore, this book-format edition provides a detailed approach to the work, complemented by four scholarly studies that examine the map, Borsano’s life and career, his cartographic output in Catalonia and other territories of the monarchy, as well as the significance of the map in the history of Catalan cartography.

Additionally, the book includes a reduced reproduction of the map, designed to bring this unique piece into every home. More than 300 years after its creation, Borsano’s map ceases to be the exclusive property of royalty and becomes a shared cultural asset for all citizens.

Useful links:

• Learn more about the digitisation of Borsano’s map: https://youtu.be/eM9Xv-wRobc
• Access Borsano’s map in the Hispanic Digital Library: https://bdh-rd.bne.es/viewer.vm?id=0000036323