Focusing on related works and relevant documentary and literary evidence, this book uncovers the layers of accrued thinking about cities over time. Uncovered also is the way in which these Renaissance maps reflect the transformation from a cartography based on sacred, mythological and historical events to one determined by topography, new visualization of spatial relationships, and new modes of design. Throughout, the reader is invited to appreciate the importance of maps for understanding urban civilization. The author further celebrates maps as works of art which serve not only practical needs, but function as emblems of civic humanism.