Lombardy, The Alps, Italy and Switzerland.

Mercator Gerhard, Hondius Jodicus. Lombardy. "Lombardæ alpestris pars occidentalis cu Valesiai." Amsterdam, " Exusum in aedibus Jodici Hondij veneunt etiam apud Corneliu Nicolai. item apud Joannem Janssoniu Arnhemi." 1607
Copper engraved map of Lombardy from the first edition of Gerhard Mercator's "Atlas Minor". Latin text to verso.
The map shows the the region of Lombardy or Valesia, the Alpine region from Lake Lucerne in the north to just south of Milan. Dark impression; old ink number to upper margin just touching plate; light damp stain to lower blank margin.

Jodicus Hondius published the first "Atlas Minor" in 1607 in response to the idea that there was a market for smaller, handier and cheaper Atlases to make the maps of Mercator available to a wider public; he probably engraved the maps himself.
The early editions were printed by Hondius and jointly sold by Corn. Claes and Joh. Janssonius, who probably supplied and owned the letterpress.
With Hondius death in 1612 the further editions were published still under his name by his widow and heirs until 1621 when the plates were sold to a London editor.
Koeman: Me186. 145 by 183mm (5¾ by 7¼ inches).   ref: 2339  €150