Original antique map of Laverinum which is the Latin name for the city of Győr in Hungary.
This plan of Györ is after a sketch by Nicolao Aginelli of 1566, which was redrawn by Joris Hoefnagel for the fifth volume of the 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum', showing the state of the town in 1594. The published date is around 1598 as it appeared in the fifth volume. In this volume were many plates illustrating events in the recent wars between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottomans. The text describes the town fortifications as 'impregnable', but the title (lower left) tells how Györ was taken by the Ottomans in 1594 and held for four years.
In the foreground are 'Heyducks' (mercenaries), a Polish knight (with arrows protruding from his shoulders) and a captured Turk with a horse with an ornamental saddle.
The Civitates Orbis Terrarum, also known as the 'Braun & Hogenberg', is a six-volume town atlas of town views and plans comprising of 363 engravings, sometimes hand 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. Other cartographers also contributed and translations appeared in German and French, making the atlas accessible to a broader audience.
Since its original publication of volume 1 in 1572, the Civitates Orbis Terrarum has left an indelible mark on the history of cartography.
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 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.
