Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 115

© Marcel van den Broecke © Title: HELVETIĘ DESCRIPTIO/ĘGIDIO TSCHVDO AVCT. [A representation of Switzerland by Ęgidius Tschudi] (underneath a panel with 9 lines of text:) Helvetiorum fines habent in longitudine CCXL millia passum, a:/it Cęsar libro I quod & hodie verum est. Nam sunt a medietate lacus Acronij Genevam usque, miliaria Helvetica ut ipsi computant XXX. In latitudinem autem inter Renum vel Iuram versus fi:/nitima Alpium LXXX millia passum, quem X vel XI miliari:/a Helvetica efficiunt. Continet autem miliarem Helveticum, ut nunc utuntur, spacium duarum horarum equestris; duarum & dimi:/diem pedestris itineris. Computantur ergo octo millia passuum Italicorum pro uno miliaro Helvetico Cum priuilegio [In longitude, the borders of Switzerland are 240 thousand strides, reports Cęsar in his first book, which is still true today. For from the middle of lake Boden to lake Geneva there are 30 Swiss miles, as they count them, In latitude, between the Rhine or Jura towards the beginnings of the Alps is 80 thousand strides, which the Swiss reckon to be 10 or 11 Swiss miles. Thus this extends in Swiss miles as they now use them for a distance of two hours by horse or two and a half day on foot. Eight thousand Italian strides are thus equal to one Swiss mile. With privilege] Euoluere dicitur/hic lacus aureas/arenas per Min:/cium fluuium [It is said that this lake produces gold grains of sand, brought by the river Mincius].

Plate size: 344 x 453 mm
Scale: 1 : 1,100,000
Identification number: Ort 115 (Koeman/Meurer: 31, Karrow: 1/42, vdKrogtAN: 4900:31).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:
1570LAC31 (225 copies printed) (last line, centered like 6 lines above it: panus Rhetus),
1570LB31 (100 copies printed) (last line, centered like two lines above it: descriptionem Nicolaus Stupanus Rhętus.),
1571L31 (275 copies printed) (last line, italic like the entire text, centered: "Promittit etiam Rhętię descriptionem Nicolaus Stupanus Rhętus.),
1571/1573D31 (350 copies printed) (last line, in Gothic script, centered like 3 lines above it: lande/daer dandere al hunnen cost verdienen.),
1572G31 (pasted over p.31 of a 1570L edition; few copies printed)(last line, left aligned,`in Gothic script except for one name: verheist auch Nicolaus Stupanus Rethus des Lands am Ries beschreibung.),
1572/1573G31 (225 copies printed) (last line, cursive like the entire text, full width: "lauffen vast all im land bedelen,da die andern all jre vnderhaltung mit arbeiten erlangen."),
1572/1574F31 (225 copies printed) (last line, centered like 3 lines above it, in cursive script like the entire text: "les autres gaignent tous leur vie en besoignant."),
1573L39 (75 copies printed) (Version A 7th line from the bottom ends" Ioannis. Version B, 7th line from the bottom ends: Joannis. In both versions, last line, centered like two lines above it, in cursive script like the entire text: "rum idiomatis studiosos as Ioannis Becani Becceselana remittimus." ; 15th line from the top ends: distri- ),
1574L39 (175 copies printed) (large page number, 11 mm; 3rd line from the top ends: appellant. ; last line, italic like the entire text and centered like 2 lines above it: rum idiomatis studiosos ad Ioannis Becani Becceselana remittimus. ; 15th line from the top ends: distribueris.),
1575L39 (100 copies printed) (small page number, 7 mm; 3rd line from the top ends: appellant, ; last line, italic like the entire text and centered like 2 lines above it: rum idiomatis studiosos ad Ioannis Becani Becceselana remittimus. ; 15th line from the top ends: distribueris.),
1579LA56 (250 copies printed) (last line, centered like 2 lines above it: Becani Becceselana remittimus. ; last letter A of title above quator in first text line.),
1579LB56 (250 copies printed) (last line, centered like 2 lines above it: Becani Becceselana remittimus. ; last letter A of title above in in first text line.),
1580/1589G56 (350 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: eygenschafft der Spraach befleissen/uber die Becceselana Johannis Becani gewisen haben.),
1581F56 (400 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like the entire text: "leur pain par tout le pays,lą oł les autres gaignent tous leur vie en besongnant.)",
1584L62 (750 copies printed) (last line, centered like 2 lines above it: cani Becesselana remittemus.),
1587F62 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script: "diants leur pain par tout le pays , lą oł les autres gaignent tous leur vie en besongnant.),
1588S62 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: a los que desean saber los lenguages , remitimos a las Becceselanas de Ioan Becano.),
1592L66 (525 copies printed) (last line, centered like two lines above it: cani Becceselana remittimus.),
1595L69 (500 copies printed) (14th line from the bottom ends: tex- ; last line, left aligned: Becani Becceselana remittimus.),
1598/1610/1613D52 (100 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script: achterlande/daer d'andere al hunnen cost verdienen.),
1598F71 (525 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like the entire text: "diants leur pain par le pays,lą oł les autres gaignent tous leur vie en besognant.),
1601L69 (200 copies printed) (14th line from the bottom ends: At ; last line, left aligned: Becani Becceselana remittimus.),
1602G72 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script like the entire text: eygenschafft der Spraach befleissen/uber die Becceselana Johannis Becani gewisen haben.),
1602S72 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: sean saber los lenguajes, remitimos a las Becceselanas de Ioan Becano.),
1603L72 (300 copies printed) (text, but not typesetting and page number identical to 1609/1612L; last line, left aligned: linguarum idiomatis studiosos ad Ioannis Becani Becceselana remittemus.),
1606E69 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: students in the dialects of languages, vnto the worke of "Iohn Becan" which he calleth his "Becceselana".),
1608/1612I77 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: di Giouanni Beccano.),
1609/1612/1641S77 (325 copies printed),
1609/1612L76 (300 copies printed) (text, but not typesetting and page number identical to 1603L; last line, left aligned: Sed linguarum idiomatis studiosos ad Ioannis Becani Becceselana remittemus.).

Approximate number of copies printed: 8175.

States: 115.1 as described above.
115.2 some time around 1584L or shortly after, numerous new place names were added, e.g. around Geneva Lake: Ripaille, Neruy, Bellerive.

Cartographic sources: Aegidius Tschudi, 1505-1572 (Karrow 78/1, p. 547-557, Meurer p. 256-257), whose second edition of Tschudi's map was published by Konrad Wolfhart in 1560. In the Catalogus Auctorum, Ortelius also mentions the Switzerland maps by Adelbergus Sauracher 1584 and by Johann Stumpf, as also two regional maps, Wallis by Ioannes Schalbeter and Zürich by Jacobus Monavius or Josias Murer.

Remarks: the Tschudi map represented significant progress in the mapping of Switzerland.

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Bibliographical sources

Topographical names