Scale 1:1,300,000
Due to the lack of an accurate, up-to-date map for managing the vast territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the creation of a comprehensive map of the entire Duchy was initiated in the late 16th century at the initiative and with the support of Lithuanian nobleman Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł the Orphan. The map aimed to highlight navigable rivers and those suitable for new waterways, the state borders, administrative divisions and the significance of settlements for the country’s politics, economy and culture. Over 1,000 settlements are depicted in total. In the southern part of the map, the state border is shown in two versions: before and after the Union of Lublin.
Beneath the map, a geographical and historical description of Lithuania by T. Makowski is provided, aimed at introducing Europe to Lithuania as it truly was and refuting the misleading information spread by Western European authors portraying Lithuania as a wild, uncivilized land. The map was particularly valuable for its detail and reliability, topographical accuracy, originality and artistic quality. It was reused in the creation of other maps and included in atlases published by prominent publishers.
Giedraičiai and Dubingiai are marked on the map as administrative centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
