1648 Grand Duchy of Lithuania

MAGNI DVCATVS | LITHVANIAE, | et Regionum Adiacentium exacta Descriptio, Ioannes Blaeu Excudebat (1648)This map of the Grand Duchy of Lituania is dedicated by Joan Blaeu (1598-1673) to a member of the Russian Sovereignty Radziwill. That was not a coincidence. Some of the Radziwil's had ordered cartographer Matthias Strubicz to map the area between 1584 en 1595. In 1613 a copy of this map appeared, engraved by Hessel Gerritsz. (c. 1580-1632) and published by Johannes Janssonius (1588-1664). Joan Blaeu copied this map and included it in his atlases from 1648 onwards.