Marpurg+Kassel. - Martpurgum Urbs Hassiae Metropolis, Universitate Clara [on sheet with] - Cassula, Communiter Cassel. . .

Two fine copper engraved panoramic views of the former capitals of Hesse, Marburg & Kassel from the first volume of Braun & Hogenberg's "Civitas Orbis Terrarum. " Latin text to verso.
MARBURG. CARTOUCHE: Marburg, capital of Hesse, distinguished for its university. COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "On top of a high hill is the residence of the Prince, with a chapel built by Louis, bishop of Münster, third son of Landgrave Henry of Thuringia. There is also a university here in which the liberal arts are taught, founded in 1527 and renewed in 1535 by Prince Philip."
In this view of Marburg from the east, the city's two most familiar buildings are seen to advantage: the palace on top of the hill (centre), where a castle had first been built in the 9th century, and St Elizabeth's church (in front of it on the left). Marburg only assumed importance from 1228, when Elizabeth of Thuringa settled here and began her selfless mission tending the poor and sick.
In 1235, just four years after her death, she was canonised and the Teutonic Order embarked on the construction of the early Gothic church of St Elizabeth. Due to the pilgrims who came from all over Europe to visit Elizabeth's tomb, Marburg's economy flourished.
In 1539, however, wishing to halt this pilgrimage, the Protestant landgrave Philip the Magnanimous of Hesse-Marburg had Elizabeth's bones removed from the church.

KASSEL. TRANSLATION OF CARTOUCHE TEXT: Cassula, commonly known as Kassel, a flourishing town in wool-producing Hesse, strongly fortified by moats, a citadel and bulwarks; called Stereontium by Ptolemy.
COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: " Kassel, the noblest town in Hesse, so called on account of its fortified castle; for formerly, it is said, only a palace stood there. The Rivers Fulda, Ahne and Drusel flow through Kassel, hence the city has a fertile soil. [...] Its most important commodities are cattle, animal hides and wool. They sell these wares, in particular wool, partly to Buvonia, which lies close to the land of Thuringia, partly within their native land, and they also take it to the famous mercantile city of Antwerp and from there to London."

In the centre of the picture is St Martin's church, dating from the 14th/15th centuries; the soaring south tower was given its octagonal turret and Italian cupola as late as the 16th century. In the left-hand foreground, on the other side of the Fulda, are the grounds of the Neuer Lustgarten, the forerunner of the present Fuldaaue park, which together with the Karlsaue and the hillside Wilhelmshöhe Berg numbers amongst modern-day Kassel's spacious parks and gardens.
First mentioned in records in AD 913, the town evolved out of a castle, from which it also derives its name. From 1277 Kassel - in alternation with Marburg - was the capital of Hesse (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, 3465; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p. 88.