Stefano DELLA BELLA (Florence 1610 - 1664) "Plan of the Fortress of Porto Longone" (De Vesme 881) Original etching signed in the plate "SDBella.f." On the bottom right and datable to 1650. Nice copy in state unique, printed on thin laid paper bearing the "IHS Monogram with Cross and Flower", similar to Heawood 2987, attributable to French paper production of the 17th century, trimmed inside the impression of the plate with various small deficiencies especially at the four corners , documented by the images of the back and the details, while the part of the legend is glued on the lower edge, with a slight general browning, spots, folds and small tears at the edges but overall in a fair state of conservation. Salamon's cataloging defines this "extremely rare" engraving. Two preparatory drawings of this engraving are kept in the Département des Arts Graphiques of the Louvre Museum. The war episodes referred to took place from 23 May to 15 August 1650. Four years earlier, during the war against Spain, the French armies had conquered Piombino and the fortress of PortoLongone, on May 25 the Spanish fleet arrived in new in the waters of Elba under the orders of Don Giovanni of Austria and after having reconquered Piombino he besieged the fortress defended by the French and the Swiss for three months obtaining its surrender on 15 August 1650. The conspicuous photographic documentation makes the object not passable of return. Bibliography: DeVesme – Massar “Stefano Della Bella Catalog Raisonné” New York 1971 n ° 881. F. Viatte, Musée du Louvre, Cabinet des Dessins, Inventaire général des dessins italiens Dessins de Stefano della Bella, 1610-1664. Heawood "Monumenta chartae papyraceae" Hilversum 1986 No. 2987. Jombert "Essai d'un catalog de l'oeuvre d'Etienne de La Belle .." Paris 1772 pag. 37 and following. Salamon "Stefano Della Bella" Turin 2000 No. 176. Measurements in mm: 444ca x 563ca the sheet