Aranzo acuminato

The image is a rare, hand-colored botanical engraving titled Aranzo acuminato (Orange – pointed) from Johann Christoph Volckamer’s (1644-1720) work, Nürnbergische Hesperides, published in Nuremberg between 1708 and 1714. The work is a two-volume set featuring exotic varieties of citrus fruits. Each engraving displays a detailed illustration of a citrus fruit variety with its name on a ribbon, floating above a specific garden or palace where it was cultivated. This particular plate shows an orange variety above the Palazzo del N. Sigr. Franc. Benzi a Montagnola. Volckamer was a wealthy German merchant and botanist who maintained a garden and greenhouse for exotic citrus fruits.