Leodiensis Dioecesis Typus

Splendid Dutch Golden Age map of the Diocese of Liège.



For almost a millennium the Diocese of Liège was ruled over the Prince-Bishop of Liège, a member of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1795 it was annexed by France and briefly became a republic before joining Belgium in 1830. Major cities include Liege and Maastricht. In his atlas Ortelius describes the region thus:



"It is a region exceedingly pleasant and fertile of all things, especially in the Northern part, where it joins Brabant. For there, it abounds with corn and all kinds of fruits, and in some places it yields wine. But on its Southern frontiers towards Luxemburg and France, it is somewhat more barren, mountainous and covered with woods."

The cartographic source for this map was a manuscript map by Dutch draughtsman Jan van Schille, which was also later used by Gerard de Jode for his map published in 1578.


[Marcel van den Broecke "Ortelius Atlas Maps, An Illustrated Guide" 2nd Edition: Ort 63]


Latin descriptive text on verso (image available on request). Original hand-colour.


[BELUX854]