Antonio Manzelli: an early View of Madrid (c. 1623) in The British Library, London

Abstract

This article examines a re-discovered printed view of the Plaza Mayor of Madrid from around 1623 by the Italian artist, Antonio Manzelli. The print survives in the British Library in London, having been part of the royal collection of George III. The article analyzes the print for the empirical evidence it affords about the appearance of the Plaza Mayor at the time of its completion, and also for the rich textual evidence it offers. In the text, Madrid is celebrated as the achievement of a well-organized municipal government who serve the city's needs and a benevolent ruler who provides Madrid with a gift worthy of the gods' admiration. The Plaza Mayor is, thus, the embodiment of good government.