Lyon, by Braun and Hogenberg. 1582
Braun G. & Hogenberg F. and the Civitates Orbis Terrarum.
The Civitates Orbis Terrarum, also known as the 'Braun & Hogenberg', is a six-volume town atlas and the most excellent book of town views and plans ever published: 363 engravings, sometimes beautifully coloured. It was one of the best-selling works in the last quarter of the 16th century. Georg Braun, a skilled writer, wrote the text accompanying the plans and views on the verso. Many plates were engraved after the original drawings of a professional artist, Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600). The first volume was published in Latin in 1572 and the sixth in 1617. Frans Hogenberg, a talented engraver, created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel made those for volumes V and VI. Other contributors were cartographers Daniel Freese and Heinrich Rantzau, who provided valuable geographical information. Works by Jacob van Deventer, Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used as references. Translations appeared in German and French, making the atlas accessible to a wider audience.
Since its original publication of volume 1 in 1572, the Civitates Orbis Terrarum has left an indelible mark on the history of cartography. The first volume was followed by seven more editions in 1575, 1577, 1582, 1588, 1593, 1599, and 1612. Vol.2, initially released in 1575, saw subsequent editions in 1597 and 1612. The subsequent volumes, each a treasure trove of historical insights, graced the world in 1581, 1588, 1593, 1599, and 1606. The German translation of the first volume, a testament to its widespread appeal, debuted in 1574, followed by the French edition in 1575.
Several printers were involved: Theodor Graminaeus, Heinrich von Aich, Gottfried von Kempen, Johannis Sinniger, Bertram Buchholtz, and Peter von Brachel, all of whom worked in Cologne.
Georg Braun (1541-1622)
Georg Braun, the author of the text accompanying the plans and views in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, was born in Cologne in 1541. After his studies in Cologne, he entered the Jesuit Order as a novice, indicating his commitment to learning and intellectual pursuits. In 1561, he obtained his bachelor's degree; in 1562, he received his Magister Artium, further demonstrating his academic achievements. Although he left the Jesuit Order, he continued his studies in theology, gaining a licentiate in theology. His theological background likely influenced the content and tone of the text in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, adding a unique perspective to the work.
Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590)
Frans Hogenberg was a Flemish and German painter, engraver, and mapmaker. He was born in Mechelen as the son of Nicolaas Hogenberg.
By the end of the 1560s, Frans Hogenberg was employed upon Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, published in 1570; he is named an engraver of numerous maps. In 1568, he was banned from Antwerp by the Duke of Alva and travelled to London, where he stayed a few years before emigrating to Cologne. He immediately embarked on his two most important works, the Civitates, published in 1572 and the Geschichtsblätter, which appeared in several series from 1569 until about 1587.
Thanks to large-scale projects like the Geschichtsblätter and the Civitates, Hogenberg's social circumstances improved with each passing year. He died as a wealthy man in Cologne in 1590.
Lugdunum.
Item Number: 24984 Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Europe > France - Cities
Old, antique map, bird's-eye view plan of Lyons by Braun and Hogenberg.
TRANSLATION CARTOUCHE TEXT LEFT: Strabo writes that Lyons was in his day the second best-known city in Gaul and the most densely populated after Narbonne. And the city has by no means grown any smaller today, for its walls surround such a large area, including two hills and vineyards, that very few cities in France come before Lyons. There is a great influx of foreigners who have taken up residence here, so that they can buy and sell goods conveniently in every part of the world. The pleasantness of the location can be seen in the course of the rivers and in the fact that it lies almost at the centre of Europe. The rivers are the Rhône and the Arar (today called the Saône), which converge near Lyons and flow into the Ligurian Sea, which is very convenient for the import and export of goods.
COMMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "Lyons has very beautiful houses and well-tended gardens. In wealth it exceeds all other cities in the whole of Romandy. The reason for this wealth is the rivers, because they lie near major cities. Since Lyons is situated in the middle of Europe and hence is called the heart of the Welschland, these rivers offer the best means of exporting and importing all interesting kinds of goods from the most lands in Europe."
Lyons's position between the Saône and the Rhône, so advantageous in terms of transportation, is impressively conveyed in this plan view from a steep bird's-eye perspective. The city's oldest surviving church, the Romanesque Benedictine abbey of Saint-Martin-d'Ainay, consecrated in 1107, is visible in the centre of the city, together with the part Romanesque, part Gothic cathedral of Saint-Jean. Through its close trade links with Italy, but also as a consequence of the Italian Wars (1494-1559), Lyons became a centre of humanism and printing in the late 15th and early 16th century. In the 16th century the city's proximity to Geneva resulted in increased exposure to Protestant ideas, and in 1562-1563 Lyons was even taken by Protestants. In 1536 Francis I awarded Lyons the monopoly for weaving gold, silver and silk textiles and thereby fuelled the growth of the silk industry that from the 16th century onwards would make Lyons France's first "industrial town". More than half the population of Lyons earned their living from silk. Faience production also increased from 1512. (Taschen)
Date of the first edition: 1572
Date of this map: 1582
Copper engraving
Size: 34 x 48cm (13.3 x 18.7 inches)
Verso text: Latin
Condition: Contemporary old coloured, centrefold split reinforced.
Condition Rating: B+
References: Van der Krogt 4, #2525; Fauser, #8177; Taschen, Br. Hog., p.64
From: Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Liber Primus. Köln, Gottfried von Kempen, 1582. (Van der Krogt 4, 41:1.1(1582))
Braun G. & Hogenberg F. and the Civitates Orbis Terrarum.
The Civitates Orbis Terrarum, also known as the 'Braun & Hogenberg', is a six-volume town atlas and the most excellent book of town views and plans ever published: 363 engravings, sometimes beautifully coloured. It was one of the best-selling works in the last quarter of the 16th century. Georg Braun, a skilled writer, wrote the text accompanying the plans and views on the verso. Many plates were engraved after the original drawings of a professional artist, Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600). The first volume was published in Latin in 1572 and the sixth in 1617. Frans Hogenberg, a talented engraver, created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel made those for volumes V and VI. Other contributors were cartographers Daniel Freese and Heinrich Rantzau, who provided valuable geographical information. Works by Jacob van Deventer, Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used as references. Translations appeared in German and French, making the atlas accessible to a wider audience.
Since its original publication of volume 1 in 1572, the Civitates Orbis Terrarum has left an indelible mark on the history of cartography. The first volume was followed by seven more editions in 1575, 1577, 1582, 1588, 1593, 1599, and 1612. Vol.2, initially released in 1575, saw subsequent editions in 1597 and 1612. The subsequent volumes, each a treasure trove of historical insights, graced the world in 1581, 1588, 1593, 1599, and 1606. The German translation of the first volume, a testament to its widespread appeal, debuted in 1574, followed by the French edition in 1575.
Several printers were involved: Theodor Graminaeus, Heinrich von Aich, Gottfried von Kempen, Johannis Sinniger, Bertram Buchholtz, and Peter von Brachel, all of whom worked in Cologne.
Georg Braun (1541-1622)
Georg Braun, the author of the text accompanying the plans and views in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, was born in Cologne in 1541. After his studies in Cologne, he entered the Jesuit Order as a novice, indicating his commitment to learning and intellectual pursuits. In 1561, he obtained his bachelor's degree; in 1562, he received his Magister Artium, further demonstrating his academic achievements. Although he left the Jesuit Order, he continued his studies in theology, gaining a licentiate in theology. His theological background likely influenced the content and tone of the text in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, adding a unique perspective to the work.
Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590)
Frans Hogenberg was a Flemish and German painter, engraver, and mapmaker. He was born in Mechelen as the son of Nicolaas Hogenberg.
By the end of the 1560s, Frans Hogenberg was employed upon Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, published in 1570; he is named an engraver of numerous maps. In 1568, he was banned from Antwerp by the Duke of Alva and travelled to London, where he stayed a few years before emigrating to Cologne. He immediately embarked on his two most important works, the Civitates, published in 1572 and the Geschichtsblätter, which appeared in several series from 1569 until about 1587.
Thanks to large-scale projects like the Geschichtsblätter and the Civitates, Hogenberg's social circumstances improved with each passing year. He died as a wealthy man in Cologne in 1590.
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