STRASBOURG, Argentoratum, cuius ob antiquitatem Ptolemeus, ...

A fine antique copper engraved bird's-eye view / plan of Strasbourg, by Braun and Hogenberg. From the 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Liber Primus'. Cologne, 1572.

Cartouche: Strasbourg, mentioned since antiquity by Ptolemy, St Jerome, Orosius, Eutropius, Marcellinus and others, is the capital of the Alsace, on the nearby flowing Rhine, called by others Argentina or Aurentina but Strasbourg by the ordinary people.
A city widely famed for the virtue, prudence and integrity of the magistracy, respected scientific studies and a well-known school.
Strasbourg is seen from a bird's-eye perspective in a plan view in which the blocks of houses are markedly contracted in favour of the broad streets and squares. The north tower, 142 m high and built from 1227 to 1439, made the cathedral the tallest Christian church right up to the 19th century.
In 1262 the city was declared a Free Imperial City, of which there were seven in total, and profited from many privileges and a certain independence. From the 14th century onwards it formed a major economic and cultural centre, with close links to cities of Upper Italy.
Copper engraving after a map by Conrad Morant, 1548. Not just the view of the city but also the Latin texts were taken over verbatim. Morant has been shown to have collaborated c. 1550 on Munster's 'Cosmographia' so that there are also similarities with the woodcut there.

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, #4169, State 4 ; Taschen, Br. Hog., p.98; Fauser #13515.