Acquired From: Leen Helmink
Colouring: Coloured
Condition: Very Good
Confirmed: No
Date Acquired: 4/2/2024
Dealers ID No.: 19393
Description: The Civitates orbis terrarum (Cities of the World) is a six-volume collection of detailed plans and birds-eye views of predominantly European cities. Created by Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg, the first volume was published in 1572, followed by the second in 1575, the third in 1581, the fourth in 1588, the fifth in 1598, and the final sixth volume in 1617-1618. Apart from the last volume, Braun wrote the prefaces and text for the plans, while Hogenberg engraved most of the plates. After Hogenbergs death in 1590, new plates were engraved by his son, Abraham. The work was reprinted numerous times, without alteration and often without a date. nThis engraving presents four birds-eye views of key coastal cities from the Portuguese maritime empire, illustrating the extent of European power and influence in the early modern period. Featured here are two North African citiesAnfa and Azemmourand two South Asian strongholdsDiu and Goaeach rendered with detailed urban layouts and topographical context. n''Anfa ''(modern-day Casablanca, Morocco) is depicted as a ruined city, a poignant reminder of its destruction by the Portuguese in 1486. Once a thriving Berber port and kingdom, Anfa played a central role in trans-Saharan trade and piracy before it was razed. The engraving reflects this devastation, with Braun noting that the Portuguese attack was prompted by Anfas persistent resistance and its threat to Iberian coastal interests. A fleet of 50 ships forced the population to flee, and the city was levelled in a single day. Though the Portuguese later established the fortress of Casablanca in 1515, Anfa itself remained deserted.nCommentary by Braun. "Anfa is a large city that was built by the Romans on the shores of the sea and whose location was as good as any city in all Africa. It was razed to the ground for two reasons, however, firstly because it strove too vigorously for freedom and secondly because it caused both Cadiz and the Portuguese much trouble with its pirate ships. The King of Portugal therefore sent 50 well-armed ships to the city, from which the inhabitants fled with all that they could carry. The captain led his forces into the city and in one day laid waste to it and burned the houses to ashes and razed the walls to such an extent that it has remained uninhabited right up to the present."n''Azemmour ''(also Azamor), situated along the Oum Rabie River, had a more gradual decline. A tributary to the Portuguese from 1486 and fully occupied in 1508, it was destroyed in 1513 after the local governor refused to continue paying tribute. Despite the regions fertility and thriving fishing industryworth some 6,0007,000 ducats annually, according to BraunAzemmour fell into decay under colonial administration.nCommentary by Braun. "Sufficient cereals and vegetables of all kinds grow there, although the gardens produce almost nothing but figs. There is much fish here, however, with which some 6,000-7,000 ducats are generated a year. Fishing lasts from October till the end of April. The fish is commonly fried in a little oil in a pan."n''Diu'' in western India, is shown with its formidable fortifications, reflecting its strategic importance at the entrance to the Gulf of Khambhat. Captured by the Portuguese in 1509 following a key naval victory, Diu served as a critical node in securing trade routes between the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. The engraving emphasises the scale and strength of its defences, particularly the bastions and towers of the fortress completed in 1535.nCommentary by Braun. "Diu is an island and also the name of a lovely town that formerly lay under the rule of the city and district of Khambat. Diu lies at the entrance to the Gulf of Cambaia in the Indian Ocean and was fought for and eventually won by the Christians with 23 ships with particular trouble and effort, because Diu had the king of Cambaia, Aden and Calicut on its side."n''Goa ''''once the capital of Portuguese India, appears from a high vantage point that captures both its urban fabric and surrounding maritime activity. Located near the Mandovi River delta, Goa was taken in 1510 and quickly developed into a major centre of administration, trade, and religious mission. Brauns caption dates its Christian capture to 1509, and the scene underscores both its commercial wealth and the naval power that secured it.''nCaption: Goa, the fortified city in India, came into the power of the Christians in 1509.nTogether, these views not only document the physical and political landscapes of key cities across the Portuguese empire but also reflect the ideological narrative of European expansionemphasising conquest, commerce, and civilisation in territories spanning North Africa to the Indian subcontinent.
Engraver: Hogenberg, Frans (1535-1590)
First published: Civitates orbis terrarum Vol. 1, Cologne: Theodor Graminaeus, 1572
Image Size (cm): 47×34
Mapmaker: Braun, Georg (1541-1622) and Hogenberg, Frans (1535-1590)
Notes: Purchased with #424 for 1375
Primary Category: Prints & Related Material
Rarity: R3 Uncommon – dealers can usually obtain a copy
Sheet size (cm): 33.6×46.8
Technique: Copper Engraving
This state: 1575
Website: Click here
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