Text (translated from the 1570L, 1571L, 1571/1573D, 1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1573L, 1574L, 1575L, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1584L, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598D, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612/1641S & 1609/1612L edition).
125.1. {1570L{The Duchy of MILAN.
125.2. Leander in his description of Italy (after a long discourse on the government of this Duchy) tells as follows about Milan, its main city: The city of Milan, he says, is so conveniently located that next to the great amounts of fruits which the ground of this territory yields from Gallia Cisalpina {1580/1589G, 1602G & 1606E only{or from Lombardy}1580/1589G, 1602G & 1606E only}, all [kinds of] things, for pleasure and delight as well as for profit and necessity in man's life, may easily be brought in here. It is so impressive that it may well be compared to the greatest cities in all of Europe.
125.3. It has very large and extensive suburbs by which it is greatly enlarged, some of them so huge in population that they may contend in size with other great cities of Italy. In spite of this they suffered great losses recently, because of deadly wars and continual troubles between Charles the Fifth and the French and Venetians. By those they were almost utterly overthrown and destroyed through fire and sword, although now, by great diligence and energy of the citizens, it has again been rebuilt.
125.4. Wide and deep ditches, full of water, surround both the city and its suburbs. Through these, on every side, such great amounts of provisions are brought to it by boat and barge, that there is nothing here that cannot be bought for a reasonable price. It is very admirable, I think, to note the great abundance and plentifulness necessary for the use of man. There are so many craftsmen here of so many different trades, and so many come together here, that it is wonderful and can hardly be told.
125.5. As a result, a common expression of a simple sort was formulated: He who wants to repair all of Italy must first pull down Milan, that is to say, that by these means out of their holes and quarters the swarms of craftsmen might be dispersed to all quarters of Italy. The city has very stately and beautiful buildings, [and] especially that gorgeous and sumptuous Edifice which they call The house or Dom, erected with such infinite attention and such wonderful craftsmanship that there are only very few Churches in the whole world that may be compared to it, whether with respect to its huge greatness and ingenious Architecture, or the price of its Marble, and the rare modelling of it, for not only is every place inside and outside beautifully covered and trimmed with white marble, but that Marble is also covered with wonderful imagery, and sculpted exceedingly cunningly.
125.6. Besides this, [there are] very many famous Churches and Chapels, especially the Grace Church, and the Preacher's church, situated opposite the very strong castle of Porta Iouia which has a hemisphere [ceiling] made by Ludouicus Sfortia, {1606E only{the Duke of Milan}1606E only}. Underneath it, he lies buried with his wife, enclosed in a tomb of the best marble. Adjoined to this Church is the stately Abbey of the Friars Predicant, with an excellent library and a very fair Chamber or Hall, adorned with the story of the [last] supper of Christ and his Apostles, an admirable piece of work, performed by the hand of Leonardo Vincio, a Florentine sufficiently equipped with the great skills and cunning of an ingenious craftsman, as attested by all men familiar with the Art of painting.
125.7. There are very many gorgeous houses of private citizens to be seen everywhere within the city. The castle of Porta Iouia is the strongest and best contrived fortification in all of Europe, which could so far never be taken by surprise and forcibly conquered by any enemy. Besides these, there are very many excellent buildings in Milan which I here must pass over in silence. So far for Leander, who excellently describes the rest of the settlements and places of the territories of this city. See also Volaterranus in his Geography, {1573L{Georgius Merula, Bernard Arlun,}1573L} and Bonauenture Castillion, who has written a detailed Treatise on the Insubres {1580/1589G & 1602G have instead{Milanese}1580/1589G & 1602G instead}, their ancient settlements and antiquities.
125.8. Moreover, Bernardinus Corius has written about the history of Milan in the Italian tongue}1570L}. {1573L{Laonicus Chalcondylas also says something about the fortunate state of this city, and among other things he excellently describes and sets out the fable of the Dragon, which afflicted this city in the time of the Mariangeli, from which the arms and nomenclature of this city were devised, as is very likely}1573L}. {1595L, not in 1602G{But it will not be amiss to add to these the opinion of Procopius, who writes that this city surpasses the city of Rome in greatness, multitude of citizens and other great blessings of God}1595L, not in 1602G}.
125.9. {1571L{Liguria, which is also fully shown on this Map, is bounded by the rivers Varo and Macra, the Apennine mountains and the Ligurian sea {1606E only{(a branch of the Mediterranean sea)}1606E only} now called Leonino. This they now call Riviera di Genoa, after Genua, its chief city. Long since, this city has enlarged its dominion to [include] the river Tanais, for it had Theodosia (now called Caffa) under its subjection, as also the isles of {1608/1612I only{Famagusta on}1608/1612I only} Cyprus, Lesbos and Chios, {not in 1602G{with Pera, a city of Thrace}not in 1602G}.
125.10. Nowadays it commands all of Liguria and the island of Corsica. It is a famous market town, whose most valiant and stout citizens have by merchandise and trading with almost all parts of the world acquired an honourable name and reputation, as well as great riches and large possessions. Augustinus Iustinianus, Bishop of Nebia, has most thoroughly compiled in the mother tongue the history of Genua,}1571L} {1579L{which very recently Petrus Bizarrus {1595L, not in 1602G{and Hubertus Foglietta}1595L, not in 1602G} have done as well in the Latin tongue}1579L}. {1601L{Moreover, Franciscus Petrarchus has written something about this City in his sacred Journal,}1601L & 1602S end here} [and so has] Laonicus in his fifth book}1595L, not in 1602G} {1609/1612/1641S only{in Latin}1609/1612/1641S only}.
[Since the texts of the 1571/1573D, 1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F, 1598F and 1598D edition differ considerably from that given above, I provide a separate translation of these editions below]
125.11. {1571/1573D{The Duchy of Milan.
125.12. This Duchy is considered to be the best one of all of Europe like Flanders is its best Earldom, as we discussed at that place. It is a glorious and fertile land, (as is all of Lombardy, of which this is a part), and its main city is Milan, from which this Duchy derives its name. This city has become very famous and well known because of the wars which have been fought there in our time between Emperor Charles the fifth and Franciscus the first of that name, King of France, and also because of the Castle there, which among the strong ones in Christianity has a name of great repute.
125.13. This city is regarded as one of the largest of Europe, and is bound to be one of the strongest ones as well, once its walls and bulwarks have been perfected all around, which we saw to be under construction in the year 1559. Considering how large this city is, and how full of people, it is surprising that food is cheap, but this may be due to the fertility of the region in which it is located, and due to the many rivers and brooks running from the mountains, emptying into the big river Po, as a result of which all things useful for the sustenance of man, or desired for amusement or pleasure, are produced in abundance and for a low price.
125.14. Such multitudes of works of art and handicraft are found here, that it is hard to believe. Therefore, there is a saying in Italian: Who wants to improve Italy, must damage Milan, meaning that their artists and craftsmen, if expelled from this city, would spread all over Italy. There are many splendid and excellent buildings here, of which the main one is the Main Church called Dom, in which Art and Splendor seem to compete. I have often said that this building seems to be a thing of splendor, since it is on the outside all over so abundantly covered with Marble sculptures and all kinds of ornaments and carvings, that it seems not to have been made by Sculptors and Masons, but by Silver- {1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F have instead{Gold-}1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F instead} smiths.
125.15. It would take too long to describe all its other Churches and Noblemens houses. But whoever wants to see the house of a private citizen, should go to Milan and ask for the house that Thomas Marini Geneuois has ordered to build there, (I think it has been finished now), and once you have seen the outside and inside of it, you will be convinced that it would not be possible to find something similar anywhere in terms of splendor. I think anyone who has visited Cities and countries will agree with me in this verdict.
125.16. Other cities situated in this Duchy are firstly Pauia, famous for its University, and for the battle that took place there which has immortalised its name, which occurred in the year 1525, in which François the First, King of France, was captured. Then there are also Crema, Lodi once called Laus Pompeia, Como, very pleasantly situated as we will explain at the appropriate place, and various others}1571/1573D} © Marcel van den Broecke ©.