Civitates Orbis Terrarum – Cities of the World
Civitates Orbis Terrarum – Cities of the World
Georg Braun and Franz Hogenberg: Beschreibung und Contrafactur der vornembster Stät der Welt 1574–1618
The earliest comprehensive collection of realistic city vedutas of the world
THE WORLD AS THEY KNEW IT
Two generations before Matthäus Merian, the Cologne theologian Georg Braun and the Flemish engraver Franz Hogenberg created a monumental work of urban representation that would achieve enduring fame through the centuries. Civitates Orbis Terrarum, the title of the first volume published in 1574, presents views and plans of cities from across the known world.
These large-format, meticulously detailed and vividly coloured illustrations, enriched with anecdotal texts, were designed to convey the contemporary image of the world to the educated elite of the Renaissance.
INVALUABLE HISTORICAL TESTIMONY
For the study of medieval urban landscapes before the devastations of the Thirty Years' War and the transformations of the Baroque period, these superb engravings are of immeasurable importance. In addition to their precise depictions of cities and their surroundings, they include a wealth of supplementary detail: coats of arms, scenes of everyday life among farmers and fishermen, portraits of inhabitants, depictions of local customs, costumes, ships, carts, and much more.
Georg Braun’s accompanying texts offer insightful and often entertaining accounts of each city’s geographical setting, historical development, and economic conditions.
AN OPUS MAGNUM OF URBAN CARTOGRAPHY
The Civitates Orbis Terrarum comprises over 600 remarkably realistic city views and plans, covering around 1,600 pages in the impressive format of 41 × 26 cm. Published in six volumes between 1574 and 1618, the work presents all major cities of Europe, Africa, Asia, and even the Americas.
GEORG BRAUN AND FRANZ HOGENBERG
Georg Braun, the editor of the Civitates, was a learned Cologne theologian with an extensive network of scholarly connections far beyond his native city. Born in Cologne in 1541, he served in various ecclesiastical roles from around 1570, while also undertaking church-related missions to Flanders, France, and Italy. Topography was his lifelong passion, and it was Braun who envisioned the Civitates as a grand collaborative project between scholars and artists. He was responsible for collecting the material and often sought out local artists to provide new templates—among them the Flemish miniaturist Georg Hoefnagel.
The technical realisation of the engravings fell to Franz Hogenberg, a master engraver tasked with translating the diverse source materials into a coherent and harmonious visual language. Born between 1535 and 1540 in Mechelen, the son of an engraver, Hogenberg worked early on in England and Flanders, contributing among other projects to the celebrated maps of the Flemish geographer Abraham Ortelius.
Characteristics
Civitates Orbis Terrarum – Cities of the World | |
| Weight | 8kg |
| Size | 28cm x 41cm |
| Scope | 6 volumes |
| 1,600 pages with over 600 hand-colored engravings | |
| Commentary volume: | 40 pages Volume I contains the general introduction to the entire work and a catalogue section with detailed explanations of all views in the first volume. Volumes II to VI each include accompanying booklets with sources and translations of inscriptions. |
| Binding: | Leather edition with gold embossing based on the original binding and gilded edges. |
| Article Numbers | 62012 – 62017 |
Questions and Answers
Georg Braun, a Cologne theologian, and Franz Hogenberg, a Flemish engraver, together with other experienced artists, created this collection of city views.
The first volume was published in 1574.
The images were meant to offer humanist scholars of the time a new perspective of the world.
The views include information such as coats of arms, genre scenes of daily life, inhabitants, local customs, costumes, ships, and various carriages.
They provide detailed insights into life before the destruction caused by the Thirty Years' War and Baroque reconstructions, making them valuable historical documents.
Cartography has evolved from hand-drawn city views, like those in Civitates Orbis Terrarum, to precise digital maps. Early city views were often based on artistic interpretations and were more decorative. Nowadays, modern technology such as satellite imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enables accurate and detailed depictions of cities and landscapes. This knowledge is now conveyed through digital platforms, interactive maps, and specialised studies.
Works like Civitates Orbis Terrarum played a key role as they provided one of the few visual representations of cities and regions available at the time. Explorers used them to orient themselves on their journeys, even though the maps were often more symbolic than precise. For governments and rulers, these depictions had geopolitical importance, helping expand knowledge of foreign cities and territories, and justifying political power claims.
The preservation and restoration of such works are invaluable, as they provide researchers with direct access to historical sources. These original documents offer insights into city life, architecture, and geopolitical conditions of past eras. Through modern restoration techniques and digital archiving, this knowledge can be preserved and made accessible to a wider audience, enhancing research and understanding of past cultures.
