----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Not every country is as fortunate as the US when it comes to national mapping. May I suggest a few alternatives to USGS-type topo maps for Italy? I've done a bit of Italian genealogical research--as well as just liking to look at maps--and have helped lots of researchers when I was at The New York Public Library Map Division. My first suggestion--what we had handy at the reference desk and most people were satisfied with--was the Collins Road Atlas Italy. Collins is a Scottish company, but you should be able to get this through MapLink, Omni, Stanfords (London), or on special order through any bookstore. While the scales were nowhere near 1:24,000, we always found the town we wanted, and there's an excellent index. While I can't find a proper citation, I seem to remember a 3-volume atlas (north, central, south), possibly by Touring Club Italiano, which was also good. If you want sheet maps, I'd suggest the provincial maps done by Litografia Artistica Cartografica in Florence (also available from MapLink). Again, the scales aren't that good (in the range of 1:100,000 to 1:200,000), but the maps were rather attractive and quite helpful. And I found the town where my grandfather was born in all three! ********************************************************************** April Carlucci [log in to unmask] The British Library Voice +44 171 412 7000x4167 Map Library +44 171 412 7703 Great Russell Street Fax +44 171 412 7780 London WC1B 3DG United Kingdom "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" **********************************************************************