Romani Imperii Imago - Abraham Ortelius, 1584. (Roman Empire Map In Color)
This map puts the Roman Empire in the center of your wall. The Mediterranean, most of Europe, North Africa and the Near East are drawn in soft colors on a warm parchment style background. It works well in a study or library, especially next to dark wood, old books and brass details.
To learn more about the history of these pieces and how we craft them in our family workshop, feel free to read our full guide to antique map prints.
About this map print
Romani Imperii Imago is a 16th century map of the Roman Empire by Abraham Ortelius, printed in Antwerp and dated 1584. It shows the Empire at its greatest reach, from England and Spain across Italy and Greece to Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. The map is packed with place names, rivers and mountain ranges, so you can follow the old Roman world from west to east.
Around the map Ortelius adds several decorative panels. At the top there are two round portraits of Romulus and Remus. On the right a framed Latin quote from the writer Vitruvius talks about the scale of Rome. At the bottom and side a large family tree and text panels explain the line of Roman rulers and the history of the Empire, so the map reads like a mix of map and illustrated timeline.
The geography and lettering connect closely to Ortelius maps like Europae and his world map Typus Orbis Terrarum. If you compare this map with John Speed’s later A New Mappe Of The Romane Empire, you can see how English mapmakers picked up the same subject but switched the focus from portraits and family trees to city views and costume figures.
If you are curious about the history behind this piece, we put together a short background on this map for you to read.
Craft & finish
Every replica we make is individually hand-processed in our family workshop. We finish the paper with a traditional beeswax seal to give it a warm, heavy texture. Our team also adds subtle gold paint details by hand to help the artwork truly shine. To complete the look, we hand-burn the edges to give each piece the feel of a true historical artifact.
While our smaller sizes are perfect for gallery walls, our 43x61 cm Large replica is a museum-scale centerpiece. Because of the size, the hand-processing and beeswax application take much longer. This extra time and care ensures that every centimeter of the historic illustration is preserved with a rich, authentic glow.
Find more prints like this in our Antique Maps collection.
Romani Imperii Imago (Abraham Ortelius, 1584.) - Antique Roman Empire Map
25% Off Over 100€
At Artifex Historical Replicas, we bridge the gap between museum archives and your home. Each piece is a handcrafted historical art print recreated from authentic primary sources, including antique city views and botanical illustrations.
Hand-Processed Paper: We use specialized paper with burned edges and a beeswax finish to replicate the weight and feel of genuine old parchment.
Gilded Details: Our workshop adds subtle gold paint accents, bringing the same glow to your walls found in 16th-century illuminated manuscripts.
Custom Sizes & Worldwide Shipping: We offer bespoke sizing for custom frames and ship our historical replicas globally from our family workshop.
Explore our full guide on how we create, display, and restore parchment-style replicas.
