Massimo De Martini’s face assumes a look of concentrated pleasure as he slips the delicate sheet of paper, 16in by 27in, from its protective plastic sleeve. He spreads the page carefully across a leather bureau top. It’s a map of the world, printed in Florence in 1482. It smells musty, with a citrus top note, and it will be one of the star attractions at the London Map Fair. It would set you back about £120,000. De Martini says he’s open to negotiation. We now know vastly more about the world than Abraham Ortelius, who etched and printed the world’s first modern atlas — but the mystique, and value, of historic maps remains potent. Read More
