Dresden+Leipzig. - Dresa Florentissimum Misniae Opp. Illust: Saxoniae Ducum Sedes [on sheet with] Leibzigk - Lipsia Litterarum Studiis et Mercatura Celebre Misniae Oppidum.

Two fine copper engraved panoramic views of the Dresden & Leipzig from the first volume of Braun & Hogenberg's "Civitas Orbis Terrarum. " Latin text to verso. From: Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Liber Primus. Köln.
.DRESDEN. TRANSLATION OF CARTOUCHE TEXT: Dresden, the flourishing Meissen town and illustrious residence of the Dukes of Saxony.
COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "The Elbe, which is not dissimilar to the Rhine and which flows past Dresden, is crossed by a large stone bridge, which is most admirable in view of its length and its distinctive stonework.
On this side lies the well known town of Dresden; since this place is beneficial to the health in view of its good air, His Most Serene Highness, the Duke and Elector of Saxony, [...] moved his permanent seat and residence here. The town of Dresden was consequently embellished with an exceptionally beautiful palace [...] built of square stones hewn with a straight edge with remarkable skill."

In the first half of the 16th century, Dresden - here seen at a distance from the direction of Pirna - still appears relatively modest in size. Clearly indicated by the caption on the left is the Protestant parish church (Pfar Kirchen) in which the Reformation was officially introduced in Dresden in 1539 by Henry the Pious. Further right is the arsenal (Zeughauss), an important Renaissance building, which was converted into the Albertinum in the 19th century.
Further right again is the town's oldest church of Unser Lieben Frauen (today the Frauenkirche), with a miracle-working icon that drew pilgrims from early on. The palace was being transformed into a Renaissance palace under Moritz of Saxony. Not until the 18th century would the "Florence on the Elbe", as Dresden is known, assume the architectural face for which it is so famous today, with the Zwinger, Frauenkirche, Hofkirche and Semper Opera House.

LEIPZIG. CARTOUCHE: Leipzig, famous town of the sciences and trade in the land of Meissen.
COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "Leipzig is not a very big town, but it surpasses many another city, both German and princely. For there are many merchants here who hold a fair in the town three times a year [...]. This town possesses many large stone houses, all panelled in wood inside and decorated with paintings outside. A council of learned men meets in Leipzig in order to pass judgement on the disputes that are brought before them [...].
It also possesses a splendid university, which was transferred from Prague to here in 1408. For when the Germans refused to accept the new teachings of Hus that were spread in Prague, over 2,000 students and their teachers left in a single day and went to Leipzig and resumed their studies there."
This plate shows the city around 1570 from a very low position, with three horsemen in the left foreground as a reference to the horse market. After receiving market privileges in the year 1165, Leipzig developed into a leading trade-fair centre, achieving fame across Europe after having been awarded imperial trade-fair rights in 1497. (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, #1142, State 2 (with privilege); Fauser, #3236, 7440; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.86.