Advanced spectroscopic analysis of the map "L'Italia" by M. Greuter (1695)

We report an in situ diagnostic campaign on a large-format map by the German engraver Matthaeus Greuter (1566-1638), entitled "L'Italia" and printed in 1695 on laid paper withchalcographic techniques. The artwork consists of the assembly of 12 sheets to form a rectangular surface of 117 x 219 cm2 and is lined on canvas.The map has graphic signs made with inks, pigments/dyes of different nature, performed on top of a tissue paper applied over the printed paper. There are physical damages, subsequent repairs,and related 'repaints'.Punctual FORS, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies, and multispectral images [1,2] were used for the identification of the pigments [3,4], the adhesives, and the evaluation of the oxidation of thepaper support [4]. Due to the complexity of the artwork, the identification of the materials was made possible by comparing the results obtained with the different spectroscopic techniques used [6].