[Florence]

Postwar pictorial map of Florence, Italy.

Despite suffering severe damage from Allied bombing raids while under German occupation, Florence (like much of Italy) was able to bounce back economically after the devastation wrought by WWII. Destroyed districts were rebuilt and tourism to the historic city quickly resumed.

This pictorial map, signed in the lower left by artist M. Martini and likely issued by a civic group or chamber of commerce, would have been a useful tool to the throngs of English-speaking tourists looking to experience the capital of Tuscany. The index identifies nearly eighty locations in several different categories such as churches, museums, sport facilities and theaters, while numerous characters and important buildings are illustrated in profile. A decorative compass rose in the lower right indicates the map is oriented with east at the top.