Blâmont. - Blanmont au Pays de Vauge en Loreyne.

Decorative early panoramic view of Blâmont by Braun and Hogenberg .From the second volume of Braun & Hogenberg's "Civitas Orbis Terrarum. " Latin text to verso.

CARTOUCHE: Blâmont in Lorraine's Pays de Vague.

Signed bottom right: Painted by Georg Hoefnagel.

COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "Blâmont is a town in Lorraine, about six stone throws from Nancy and ten from Strasbourg. The town is not very big, but in a charming situation. The town is important for three reasons; firstly it has a very big old castle, secondly a ducal palace and thirdly the inhabitants are almost all farmers, good, pious and honourable people."

In this view of the town of Blâmont, the 12th-century castle and the ducal palace stand out in particular. In the 12th and 13th centuries Blâmont was a fief of the Salm family, and it became a county in the 15th century. In the mid-16th century Christina of Denmark resided here until she was driven out by French troops, who occupied the land until 1661. During the Thirty Years' War, the town was completely burned down and the castle was destroyed by Richelieu and the troops of Louis XIII. (Taschen)

The 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum', or the "Braun & Hogenberg", is a six-volume town atlas and the greatest book of town views and plans ever published: 363 engravings, sometimes beautifully colored. It was one of the best-selling works in the last quarter of the 16th century. Georg Braun wrote the text accompanying the plans and views on the verso.
A large number of the plates were engraved after the original drawings of Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600), who was a professional artist. The first volume was published in Latin in 1572, the sixth volume in 1617. Frans Hogenberg created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel created those for volumes V and VI. Other contributors were cartographer Daniel Freese, and Heinrich Rantzau.
Works by Jacob van Deventer, Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used. Translations appeared in German and French.

Reference: Van der Krogt 4, 508, State 1; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p. 148.