Lille - Insula - Ryssele.

COMMENTARY BY BRAUN: "A river with its source in Lens in Artois flows alongside the city wall, where the palace is also situated. [...] Lille was founded in the year 1007 by Baudouin Barbatus, Count of Flanders, his son had the imposing church of St Peter erected. There is also a well-fortified castle in the city, which was formerly the seat of the magistrate and the mayor, and which was at the disposal of the lord who governed Flanders in the name of the king of France. Lille is effectively the capital and sovereign of all Welsch Flanders."

Lille belonged to the French-speaking part of the County of Flanders, whose mayor was appointed directly by the king of France. In 1384 it passed to the House of Burgundy and became one of the primary residences of the Burgundian dukes, who commissioned the building of a new palace beside the River Deule. In 1477 Lille passed to the Habsburgs and in 1555 became part of the Spanish Netherlands. In the 17th century the face of the cloth-weaving city changed substantially as a result of wars and the citadel-like designs of Sébastien Le Prestre Marquis de Vauban. The present view therefore has an important documentary value, however, the churches of Saint-Maurice and Sainte-Cathérine continue to form part of the cityscape. (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 coloured. 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.