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Nova Palmae civitas in patria Foroiuliensi ad maris Adriatici ostium contra Barbarorum incursum à Venetis aedificata. - Braun & Hogenberg, c. 1610.



Antique map - bird's-eye view of Palmanova by Braun and Hogenberg.

TRANSLATION OF CARTOUCHE TEXT BOTTOM LEFT: The new city of Palma, built by Venice in Friuli at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea as protection against attacks by barbarians.

CARTOUCHE BOTTOM RIGHT: The city has 9 bulwarks, each 200 paces apart. Streets run around them to reinforce the front line. The moats encircling these are 30 paces wide an 12 deep. There are 3 gates and 9 squares. From the bulwarks, streets lead into the centre, where a heavily fortified tower stands as a place of refuge. The whole site has a diameter of 600 paces.

COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "Outline of the city of Palmanova, which was built by the Venetians in Friuli at the mouth of the sea. Previously the Italians suffered great harm, for the barbarian peoples ravaged this province, and the Turks also threatened the surrounding towns with daily rape and pillage, something that will not be so easy for them in future. The city has nine new bulwarks, each 200 paces apart; the streets are round and wide, and the walls can today be well defended. The streets lead directly from the bulwarks to a centre, where there is a mighty tower, from where the whole city can be defended."

The bird's-eye view is the optimum perspective from which to present the fortified city of Palmanova to the viewer. Designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, the star-shaped fort on the Venetian border was laid out as late as 1593 and is one of the few Renaissance examples of an ideal city. The primary goal of the Venetian government was to create a bulwark against the Turks, who had raided Friuli seven times between 1470 and 1499. The fortifications were extended in the 17th century, when Palmanova lay on the border with the Habsburg Empire, and again in the 19th century by Napoleon. The city's star-shaped plan is clearly visible even today. The draughtsman has evidently introduced a number of figures into the city to "soften" its strict geometric shape. (Taschen)

Date of the first edition: 1596
Date of this map: c. 1610

Copper engraving
Size: 36 x 47.5cm (14 x 18.5 inches)
Verso text: French
Condition: Old coloured, excellent.
Condition Rating: A
References: Van der Krogt 4, 3287, State 1; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p. 431.

From: Théâtre des Principales Villes de tout l'Univers. Tome 5. c. 1610.

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Item number: 14606
Price: 600 Euro

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