de Rossi Family

Seventeenth-century Rome was home to the famous publishing house of de Rossi. Two branches of the family used the addresses in Piazza Navona and Piazza della Pace; the latter was the more important house. Giuseppe de Rossi founded the house in 1613 and continued until he died in 1639. Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi flourished from 1649 to 1691. In 1677, he published a folio atlas titled Mercurio Geografico. It was drawn almost entirely from the cartography of the Sanson family in Paris. Whether it was with their permission or simple plagiarism is unknown, but they are credited. (Burden)

Giuseppe Rossi (flourished 1613-1639), Publisher at 'Piazza della Pace'.

Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi (1627-1691), Printer and publisher at 'Alla Pace all'insegna di Parigi', Rome.

Domenico de Rossi (flourished c. 1691-c. 1720), Successor to Giovanni Giacomo Rossi.

Lorenzo Filippo Rossi (flourished c. 1720-1738). Successor to Domenico.

In 1738, the Rossi plates were sold to the government of the Papal States.

SANSON FAMILY

Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667) - Guillaume Sanson (1633-1703) - Pierre Moullart-Sanson (? -1730)

Originally from Abbeville, Nicolas I Sanson showed a keen interest in historical geography. He was still very young; he published a map of ancient Gaul and two treatises, Britannia and Portus Itius on Abbeville and Boulogne's origins. His meeting with Melchior Tavernier was decisive: it prompted him to give up his duties as a military engineer in Picardy and devote himself to engraved cartography.

At the same time, Sanson had drawn up the outline of modern France. He got the help of Tavernier, who encouraged him to compete with the Dutch map publishers. Tavernier contacted other French cartographers whose works he published.

From 1643, N. Sanson obtained a privilege to publish a work personally, the Princes souverains de l'Italie. Then, in 1644 and 1645, he had his famous geographical tables printed, which significantly contributed to his fame. He also published a series of atlases in quarto of the four continents.

In 1648, N. Sanson associated himself with Mariette to publish atlases. From then on, specific maps bore his name and others Mariette's. N. Sanson and Mariette worked together for more than 20 years. After the death of N. Sanson, Mariette acquired the entire fund. Since Mariette only wanted to publish complete atlases, individual maps were no longer sold, and some army generals complained to the king.

The disagreement between the Sanson family and Pierre II Mariette culminated in 1671 when Guillaume Sanson took the case to court. There was no longer any question of collaboration: Guillaume Sanson started working for another publisher, Alexis-Hubert Jaillot.

The Sanson family faced financial difficulties, and in 1692, their cousin, Pierre Moullart-Sanson, bought the entire geographic fund from his uncles and aunt. Pierre Moullart-Sanson was the son of Françoise Sanson (third child of Nicolas) and Pierre Moullart. He restarted the publishing of Sanson's world atlas, and in 1704 he acquired a privilege for publishing all the works of Nicolas and Guillaume Sanson, which continued to be published until 1730.

Giacomo Cantelli da Vignola (1643-1695)

Italian cartographer and engraver. He was a geographer and court librarian to the Duke of Modena. Later, he moved to Venice, becoming well known as a geographer and cartographer. From 1672, his maps were published by Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi.