Legionis Regnum et Asturiarum Principatus [map of León and Asturias]

Original antique map of the Kingdom of León and the Principality of Asturias, engraved by Pieter Schenk and Gerard Valk and published in Amsterdam around 1690. The Latin title, «Legionis Regnum et Asturiarum Principatus», designates these two historical territories of the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. The map shows in particular the cities of Oviedo, León, Astorga, Santillana and Palencia, depicted with their walls. In the late 17th century, the Kingdom of León and the Principality of Asturias were part of the Crown of Castile, and their cities still retained the medieval fortifications that had given them strategic importance for centuries. Pieter Schenk (1660-1711) and Gerard Valk (1651-1726) were publishers and engravers established in Amsterdam, where they produced numerous maps and atlases intended for the European market. Both collaborated in the publication of cartographic works that spread geographical knowledge of various regions of Europe. Copperplate engraving.