GEORG BRAUN/FRANZ HOGENBERG. VILLES DU MONDE

More than four centuries on from its first publication, discover one of the jewels of urban cartography and civic studies. This reprint includes the most enchanting color plates from the Civitates orbis terrarum, a magnificent collection of town map engravings, produced between 1572 and 1617.

Featuring plans, bird’s-eye views, and maps for all major cities in Europe, plus important urban centers in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, this masterwork in urban mapping gives us a comprehensive view of city life at the turn of the 17th century. It was edited and annotated by theologian and publisher Georg Braun and largely engraved by Franz Hogenberg, but also involved over a hundred different artists and cartographers who contributed not only town views, but additional elements, such as figures in local dress, courtroom scenes, and topographical details, to help convey the situation, commercial power, and political influence of each city.

TASCHEN's reprint contextualizes the plates with selected extracts from Braun’s original texts on the history and significance of each urban center as well as detailed commentaries to place each city map in its cartographical and cultural context.

Stephan Füssel est directeur de l’Institut des sciences du livre de la Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität de Mayence où il est titulaire de la chaire Gutenberg. Il a publié de nombreux écrits sur les débuts de l’imprimerie, le rôle et l’importance du livre du XVIIIe au XXe siècle, ainsi que sur l’avenir des médias.