Description

Finished railroad lines on the map are showcased with red lines, railroads under construction with broken red lines and planned railroads with red lines, composed of short parts. Brown lines mark ridges of mountain chains and blue lines larger rivers. Names are not only large cities, but also important locations on often difficult transportation routes, such as mountain passes, sea ports and border stations. The thick light blue line, running from south of France to the north of European Russia represent the main tectonic division of Europe, as see in the mid 19th century.

The map could be dated relatively precisely around 1858, as the Vienna-Trieste railway, which was completed on July 27, 1857, is represented as finished. On the other hand Milan is still showcased as a part of Austro-Hungary. After the Battle of Solferino, fought on June 24, 1859, the city and Lombardy were incorporated into Piedmont-Sardinia.