Antonio Salamanca

Antonio Salamanca
Born1479
Died1562 (aged about 83)
Other namesMartinez de Salamanca
OccupationPublisher
Years active1517–1562
ChildrenFrancesco Salamanca

Antonio Salamanca or Martinez de Salamanca (Salamanca 1479–1562 Rome) was a Spanish-born Italian dealer and publisher who settled in Rome and was active as a book-seller, publisher and engraver.

He was born in Salamanca, Spain in 1479 and seems to have settled in Rome, Italy, around 1510, when he married an Italian woman named Sigismonda Viccardi. A recently discovered marriage contract dates their wedding in 1532.[1] However, his daughter, Magdalena, was born prior to this date. Since she is explicitly named as his legitimate child in her own marriage certificate, it can be concluded that Salamanca had a previous, unidentified wife as well.[2]

In 1532 he published his first collection of engravings with prints of mythological interest, including works by Raphael. Since 1553, he cooperated with Antonio Lafreri (1512–1577), a publisher and map trader of French origin, with whom he published a book of Juan Valverde de Amusco illustrated by Nicolas Beatrizet. His cooperation with Lafreri lasted until his death, for almost a decade, and produced engraved maps, prints and views of cities, as well as informative leaflets (avvisi) of important events of his time.[3]

After his death, in 1562, his son Francesco Salamanca continued the cooperation with Antonio Lafreri.

Amongst his works is the creation of a copy of the first world map by Gerardus Mercator.

References

  1. ^ 1. Archivio di Stato di Roma, Collegio dei Notai Capitolini, vol. 321, fols. 39, dated ‘the last day of February 1532’. Notary Giorgio Latino Cecio; published by Corinna Gallori, ‘Antonio Salamanca's First Marrige’, Print Quarterly, vol. xlii, no. 1 (March 2025), p. 44, note 5.
  2. ^ 2. Rome, Archivio Storico Capitolina, Archivo Urbano, sez. I, vol. 289/3, fol. 41; Corinna Gallori, ‘Antonio Salamanca's First Marrige’, Print Quarterly, vol. xlii, no. 1 (March 2025), p. 44.
  3. ^ The Ionian Sea. Chartography and History 16th–18th century [in Greek], Archive of the Chartography of Greek Areas, Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece, Athens, 2007, biographies of map makers, p. 239. ISBN 978 960 250 381 2

Sources

Corinna Gallori, ‘Antonio Salamanca's First Marrige’, Print Quarterly, vol. xlii, no. 1 (March 2025), pp. 44–45.

Valeria Pagani, ‘Documents on Antonio Salamanca’, Print Quarterly, vol. xvii, no. 2 (June 2000), pp. 148–153.