Original Antique Plan of Lima and View of Potosí by A. & J. Churchill, c.1744
Description: An original antique copperplate engraving featuring a detailed plan of Lima, Peru, together with a panoramic view of Potosí, one of the richest mining cities of the Spanish Empire. The print was published in London around 1744 in *A Collection of Voyages and Travels* by Awnsham and John Churchill.
The upper section presents "A Plan of Lima", illustrating the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru with its regular street grid, defensive walls, gates, churches, monasteries and important public buildings. A numbered key identifies thirty of the city's principal landmarks, including the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, the Inquisition, hospitals, markets and city gates. The Rímac River is shown flowing along the northern side of the city.
The lower half of the engraving depicts the celebrated silver-mining city of Potosí, today in Bolivia but historically part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Dominating the composition is Cerro Rico, the "Rich Mountain," whose vast silver deposits made Potosí one of the wealthiest cities in the world during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The foreground illustrates ore-processing windmills, water mills and daily activity associated with the famous silver mines.
Combining an accurate city plan with an important historical view, this engraving offers an exceptional record of two of the most significant urban centres of colonial Spanish America. It appeals equally to collectors of maps, mining history and Latin American colonial history.
This is an original antique engraving printed in the eighteenth century. It is not a modern reproduction.
Maker: Awnsham & John Churchill
Title: A Plan of Lima / Potosi
Series: A Collection of Voyages and Travels
Place of publication: London
Date: circa 1744
Technique: Copperplate engraving
Origin: England
Condition
Good condition considering its age. General age-related toning, light foxing and minor handling wear. Please study the image carefully.
The framed and interior visuals are provided for imagination and presentation purposes only. The original antique print is sold unframed.
Keywords
Lima, Peru, Potosí, Potosi, Bolivia, Cerro Rico, silver mines, mining, colonial Peru, Viceroyalty of Peru, Spanish Empire, city plan, town plan, Cathedral of Lima, Rímac River, Royal Palace, Inquisition, South America, Latin America, antique map, antique print, original antique engraving, copperplate engraving, London, Churchill, A Collection of Voyages and Travels, eighteenth century, 1744, historical map, decorative engraving.
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