Braun & Hogenberg's Civitates Orbis Terrarum or "Cities of the World" was published between 1572 and 1617. Within the six volumes, 531 towns and cities were depicted on 363 plates, providing the reader with the pleasures of travel without the attendant discomforts. Braun wrote in the preface to the third book, "What could be more pleasant than, in one's own home far from all danger, to gaze in these books at the universal form of the earth . . . adorned with the splendor of cities and fortresses and, by looking at pictures and reading the texts accompanying them, to acquire knowledge which could scarcely be had but by long and difficult journeys?" Braun and Hogenberg incorporated an astonishing wealth of information into each scene beyond the city layout and important buildings. The plates provide an impression of the economy and prominent occupations, and illustrate local costumes, manners and customs.

Costumed citizens fill the foreground of this grand view of Rostock on the banks of the Warnow River, which is busy with ships and boats. Rostock is the largest city in the present German state of Mecklenburg on the Baltic coast and was a major trading settlement and member of the important Hanseatic League in the sixteenth century. The panoramic view shows the three sections of the city each gathered around a magnificent church: St. Peter's Church, St. Mary's Church, and St. James's Church.

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Condition: A

There are some minor stains in the blank margins.