Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 129


image of the map

Title: "LARII LACVS VVLGO | COMENSIS DESCRIPTIO, | AVCT. PAVIO JOVIO. | Excurrit Larius a Meridie in Sep:|tentrionem, pronior tamen in Oriente". [A depiction of lake Larius, vulgarly called Como by Paulus Iovius. The river Larius runs from South to North, or rather to the East]. (Top left:) "Museum P. | Iouij | Vbi olim Pli:|nij platanus fuit | eius epistolis cele|brata|Vico". [The library of Paulus Iovius, where once stood the plane tree of Plinius, famous from his letters]. (Left:) "Brandelli | arx. Luit | prandi regis | opus". [Brandellus castle, a work of king Luitprandus]. (Left:) "COMVM,
duorum | Pliniorum pa:|tria" [Como, the native city of the two Plinies]. (Left top centre:) "Busbinius mons cum specula | et templo Deiparæ Virginis". [Mount Busbinius, with a watch tower and temple of the Virgin, equal to God.] (Top centre:) "In iugo huius prõ:|fuit villa Plinij | quã Tragediam | appellare solebat". [On the top of this cape was the mansion of Plinius, which he used to call by the name of Tragedia]. (Below top centre:) "Geßima regio Vi:|a subaustera iu:|cunditate celebris" [The region of Gessima, famous for its pleasant Southern wine]. (Top centre right:) "Hic candidi marmo:|ris fodinæ". [Here are quarries of white marble]. "Cultonius | ager genero|so vino celebris". [Cultonius fields, famous for its generous wine]. (Centre right:) "His montibus | niger marmor | excinditur". [In these mountains black marble is found]. (Top right:) "Non longe ab Olonia | turri Volturrenã ur:|bem fuiße contstat, ex | uestigijs ibidê ex tantibus". [Not far from Olonia was the tower of the city of Volturrena, as appears from numerous traces.] - TERRE:|TORII | ROMA:|NI DESCRIP. [A depiction of the area of Rome]. - FORI IV:|LII VVL:|GO FRIV:|LI TYPVS. [A map of the market place of Iulius, vulgarly Friuli] (Lower middle:) "Cum priuilegio". [With privilege]. (Upper left:) "M. setius | unde origi|nem| sumunt tria flumina". [Mount Setius, from where three rivers originate]. (Upper left:) "M. Mauris | ubi fons|Tagliamenti". [Mount Mauris, where you find the spring of the river Tagliamento]. (Lower left:) "Liuenza ol: Liquen:|tia fl. diuidit Forum | Iulij a Marchia Triuigiana". [The river Livenza, once called Liquentia separates Forum Iulium from Marchia Trivigiana]. (Centre:) "Auensonio hic terminus est ditionis | Venetorû, et Ducum Austriæ". [Avensonio; this is the border of the realm of the Venetians and the dukes of Austria]. (Lower right corner:) "Grado oppidû & insula | hic S.Marci sedes ebur:|nea religiose custoditur". [The city and island of Grado; here the ivory seat of Saint Marcus is being guarded]. (Middle right:) "Hic argenti viui | fodinæ sunt". [Here are mines of quicksilver]. (Lower right:) "Prosecho ol:Pucinum, hinc vina a Plinio | tantopere laudata" [Prosecho, once called Pucinum. From here comes wine highly praised by Plinius].

Plate size: 338 x 482 mm, three maps on one plate
Scale: see below for each map
Identification number: Ort 129, see further below.

Title 129a: Larii Lacus
Scale: 1 : 80,000. Size: 145 x 465 mm
Identification number: Ort 129a (Koeman/Meurer: 35a, Karrow: 1/46, vdKrogtAN: 7026:31).

States: 129a.0 has no figure in the extreme upper right, according to Frayn (see next state). I have never found a copy of this state.
129a.1 has a figure and a cross added in 1570 according to the novel by Michael Frayn "Headlong", featuring Ortelius, and referring to this figure, which was first noted in Maphist. My view is that state 0 does not exist.
129a.2: between 1575 and 1579 all coastlines of lake and sea received extended hachuring, the length of which increased from about 3 to about 6 mm. The vertical lines below the Como map, partially overlapping with the frame, received horizontal hatching superimposed on the existing vertical hatching, resulting in small squares; the fields below the lake in the extreme lower right corner now have diagonal hatching instead of horizontal hatching.
129a.3: between 1584 and 1595, horizontal hatching was superimposed on the diagonal hatching of the previous state, resulting in small diamond shapes. The diagonals faded in the course of time, so that by 1609 we have horizontal lines again resembling the first state, without being identical to it.

Cartographic sources: Paulus Jovius, 1483-1552 (Meurer p. 157, Karrow 33/1, p. 266-274).

Title 129b: Terretori Romani
Scale: 1 : 350,000. Size: 190 x 241 mm
Identification number: Ort 129b (Koeman/Meurer 35b, Karrow: 1/47, vdKrogtAN: 7310:31).
States: 129b.1 as above.
129b.2: between 1575 and 1579 all coastlines of lake and sea received extended hachuring, the length of which increased from about 3 to about 6 mm.

Cartographic sources: Eufrosino della Volpaia, abt. 1500-1552 (Meurer p. 261). See also Hessels nr. 185. Brandmaier suggests Pirro Ligorio as the source of this map.

Title 129c: Fori Iulii
Scale: 1 : 800,000. Size: 190 x 241 mm
Identification number: Ort 129c (Koeman/Meurer 35c, Karrow: 1/48, vdKrogtAN: 7171:31).
States: 129c.1. as described.
129c.2: between 1575 and 1579 all coastlines of lake and sea received extended hachuring, the length of which increased from about 3 to about 6 mm.

Cartographic sources: Gregorio Amaseo, (1464-1541), via Giovanni di Vavassore, (abt. 1510-abt. 1572) (Meurer pp. 259-260, Karrow 4/1, pp. 37-39).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:

1570L(A)35 (100 copies printed) (last line, full line: quàm diligentia,maximisq; impensis eius Fastos æneis Tabulis libri forma expressit.),
1570L(B)35 (100 copies printed) (last line, centred like one line above it, in italic script like almost the entire text: "maximisque impensis eius Fastos æneis Tabulis libri forma expreßit".),
1570L(C)35 (125 copies printed) (last line, centred like one line above it, in italic script like almost the entire text: "Tabulam Romani Imperij (quum maximè floruit)effigiem continentem".),
1571L35 (275 copies printed) (last line, italic like the entire text, centred like one line above it: "Tabulam Romani Imperij(quum maximè floruit)effigiem continentem".),
1571/1573D35 (350 copies printed) (last line, centred: met oogen sien can,hoe wijt ende breedt sy eertijts(doense in haren besten fleur was)gheregeert heeft.),
1572G35Koler (pasted on p.35 of a 1570L edition; few copies printed)(last line, left aligned, in Gothic script: auff Eherene Tafeln/in form eines Buchs gebracht.),
1572/1573G35 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred like one line above it: mag vvie vveit vnd brait das sie ehzeit(da sie noch in irem besten thun war)regiert hat.),
1572/1574F35 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred like 4 lines above it: en grande reuerence.),
1573L(A)46 (40 copies printed) (the text on Rome and Fori Iulii in non-cursive script, last line, centred like 4 lines above it: peculiarem,ex Ioannis Sambuci beneficio obtinuit.),
1573L(B)46 (40 copies printed) (the text on Rome and Fori Iulii are here in cursive script. Last line, centred like 4 lines above it: "peculiarem,ex Ioannis Sambuci beneficio obtinuit".),
1574L46 (175 copies printed) (large page number, 11 mm; last line, centred like 4 lines above it: peculiarem,ex Ioannis Sambuci beneficio obtinuit.),
1575L46 (100 copies printed) (small page number, 7 mm; last line, centred like 3 lines above it: peculiarem,ex Ioannis Sambuci beneficio obtinuit.),
1579L(A)65 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: gentia maximísque impensis eius Fastos æneis Tabulis libri forma expressit.),
1579L(B)65 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: cio quàm diligentia maximísque impensis eius Fastos æneis Tabulis libri forma expressit.),
1580/1589G65 (350 copies printed) (last line, centred like 4 lines above it, mostly in Gothic script: außgedruckt.),
1581F65 (400 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: elle estoit en sa fleur.),
1584L71 (750 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: quàm diligentia maximisque impensis eius Fastos æneis Tabulis libri forma expressit.),
1587F71 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: elle estoit en sa fleur.),
1588S71 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: y con grandes gastos ,entallo sus Fastos, en tablas de cobre , a manera de libro.),
1592L76 (525 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: quàm diligentia,maximisque impensis,eius Fastos æneis Tabulis libri forma expressit.),
1595L79 (500 copies printed) (last line, full width: nori artificio,quám diligentia,maximisque impensis,eius Fastos æneis Tabulis,libri forma expressit.),
1598/1610/1613D56 (100 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: ooghen sien can,hoe wijt ende breedt sy eertijts(doense in haren besten fleur was) gheregeert heeft.),
1598F81 (525 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: ment, quand elle estoit en sa fleur.),
1601L79 (200 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: forma expressit.),
1602G82 (250 copies printed) (last line, centred like 4 lines above it, in Gothic script like most of this text: außgedruckt.),
1602S82 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: artificio que diligencia,y con grandes gastos,entallo sus Fastos,en tablas de cobre, a manera de libro.),
1603L82 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: Tabulis , libri forma expressit.),
1606E79 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: booke the table of his "Fasti", most cunningly cut in brasse.),
1608/1612I88 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like 8 lines above it: "Giouanni Georgio Trissino gentil'huomo Vicentino nel 18. lib. dell'Italia liberata da Gotthi Poema Heroico."),
1609/1612L88 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: minori artificio, quàm diligentia, maximisque impensis, eius Fastos æneis Tabulis,libri forma expressit.),
1609/1612/1641S88 (325 copies printed) (last line, in cursive script like most of the text, left aligned: "a manera de libro.").

Approximate number of copies printed: 8175.

Text

Bibliographical sources

Topographical names


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