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.

Taken from the east, this lovely bird's-eye view presents the fortified city of Saintes in western France. Depicted inside the city walls is the towering cathedral of Saint Pierre while the church of Saint-Eutrope is located outside the city center along the left border. On the opposite bank of the Charente River is a former nunnery and the abbey Sainte Marie des Dames. Latin text on verso.

References: Fussel, pp. 371-73.

Condition: A

Nice impression and color with a bit of surface soiling around the upper centerfold and two printer's creases adjacent to the top border.