A New Atlas, or, a Compleat Set of Maps Representing all the Different Empires, Kingdoms & States of the Known World

[1794]

Shoults Ec 1794 A

London: Sold by M. Ainslie & W Faden

This ‘new’ atlas of 1794 by John Ainslie reveals Sardinia’s physical proximity to the mainland of Italy, and to Corsica, its nearest neighbour, 11 kilometres away. Because Sardinia (or Sardegna) was under the control of Spain for some 400 years, many Spanish customs still feature, including the speaking of Catalan and May-day parades in Cagliari. Sardinian (Sardu) is the mostly widely spoken language, alongside Italian. Importantly, Sardinia is constitutionally autonomous, having the right to create its own laws and to carry out its own regional administrative functions. The other four Italian ‘home-rulers’ are: Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Aosta Valley and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.