Abraham Ortelius, Bavaria, 1598

Bavariae Olim Vindeliciae Delieneationis Compendium

Early map of Bavaria from the 1598 French edition of Ortelius's landmark Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, generally considered the first modern world atlas. Ornate strapwork title cartouche. The map's geography is derived from Philip Apian's extraordinary 1563 map of Bavaria which measured 5x5m and which remained the official map of Bavaria for 250 years after its creation. Unusually for the period, Ortelius credits Apian by name in the title cartouche.

Contemporary French text on the verso describes Bavaria in glowing terms (image available on request):

Except wine, this country has everything needed for human needs, which is a result of its location, for it lies close to the big mountain range separating Germany from Italy. Close to this mountain range, it is full of mines with silver, copper, iron and salt. It is also wooded, and therefore has so many boars or swine that it feeds a large part of Germany with them. It has many beautiful rivers, issuing from these mountains, which all empty into the Danube (which traverses this country) and as a result many lakes, with much fish. Between these waters there are many wide fields with much corn, particularly around Regensburg and Passau. But since the cold wind from the North blows against this high mountain range, and from there repelled blows in this land for the second time (so to speak), it is unfit for producing wine.

But they obtain enough of it from surrounding countries in exchange for those things of which in their own produce they have a surplus. There is no country in Germany that has more well built cities (for as Philippus Appianus says on the map he made of this area), it has 34 cities, 46 towns or liberties, 72 monasteries without [counting] all villages, castles and mansions. Among these cities Munich is the main one, where dukes keep their court. You can always see lions here, who also get cubs. This seems to be the most beautiful city of all of Germany.

Original hand-colour. [GER2248]

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