Lewardum. Occidentalis Frisiae Opp: 1580. [on sheet with:] Franicher, Nobiliu hominum, in Frisia Occidentali, ut plurimum saedes.[Leeuwarden&Franeker]

Two bird's-eye views on one sheet: Leeuwarden and Franeker, by Braun & Hogenberg.
CARTOUCHE: Leeuwarden, a West Frisian town. 1580. COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "Leeuwarden lies in West Friesland. Within this county it is a special town that can boast well-appointed town houses, but that is also completely surrounded by the river and with its moats and fortified castle can therefore withstand all enemy attacks."

This bird's-eye plan from the year 1580 depicts Leeuwarden, once the seat of the powerful governor of Friesland. On the left-hand edge of the town, a large church is accompanied by a freestanding late Gothic tower, the unfinished Oldehove, still standing today. The Gothic Grote Kerk or Jacobijnerkerk is located in the upper half of the town, while the weigh house on the Waagplein is clearly visible in the lower half.
In the 15th century Leeuwarden enjoyed importance as a river port, a position it lost in the late 16th and 17th century, however, as its access to the sea silted up. Cartographer: Jacob van Deventer.

CARTOUCHE: Franeker in West Friesland, the seat of many noble men. COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "Two miles from Leeuwarden lies Franeker, where many self-assured men live, since they valiantly resisted a siege by those staging a revolt against their then sovereign, the Duke of Saxony, and were consequently rewarded with stately privileges and freedoms. It has numerous grazing pastures for cattle as is usual in Friesland, but the land is interspersed with many lakes, pools and marshes."

Franeker, a former university town whose students included René Descartes, lies between Harlingen and Leeuwarden. It is seen here in a bird's-eye view, surrounded by a ring canal and crossed by a number of other canals. Founded around AD 800 as a Carolingian fortress, in the Middle Ages and the early modern era Franeker developed into an impressive city; in the 15th century it was chosen by Albert of Saxony as his primary residence.
Rising from the centre of the main market square is the late Gothic Martinikerk. Bottom left, on the longest of the canals, is the town hall. Cartographer: Jacob van Deventer.

Reference: an der Krogt 4, 2253; Fauser 7384 and 4030; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.242