Brescia - J. Hondius 1627

📜 Description
Antique engraved urban map depicting the city of Brescia, created by Jodocus Hondius and published in Leiden in 1627 within the editorial context of the Nova et Accurata Italiae Hodiernae Descriptio. The composition presents a cartographic view of the city according to a compact fortified layout typical of early 17th-century Dutch cartographic production. Brescia is represented within its bastioned defensive walls, with religious buildings, architectural complexes, towers, squares, and urban districts distributed through a clear and highly legible structure. Particularly significant is the central hilly relief crowned by the fortress dominating the city, an element that immediately defines the topographical and strategic profile of the urban area. The inscription “Brescia” identifies the subject of the plate, while the sharp and analytical engraved line provides a synthetic yet effective representation of the Lombard city during the early modern period. The intaglio etching technique produces a balanced and clearly articulated image in which documentary purpose and graphic rigor coexist according to the visual language of 17th-century Dutch scientific and editorial cartography.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Jodocus Hondius (1563–1612) was among the most influential cartographers, engravers, and publishers active between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His editorial activity, continued by his heirs and the Dutch publishing circle, played a decisive role in the dissemination of modern European cartography through atlases distinguished by geographical precision, compositional clarity, and engraving quality. Urban views dedicated to Italian cities occupied a central role within the cartographic production of the period, reflecting the political, economic, and cultural importance of Italy within the European landscape. The present example belongs to the tradition of descriptive urban cartography intended both for consultation and editorial dissemination.

🧾 Technical Details
Title: Brescia
Type: Antique urban map
Author / Cartographer: Jodocus Hondius
Publisher / Printer: Bonaventura / Elsevir
Place: Leiden
Period: 1627
Material: Paper
Technique: Etching
Edition / Print Run: From “Nova et Accurata Italiae Hodiernae Descriptio”
Dimensions: sheet 21.5 × 27.5 cm; plate mark/engraving 18 × 24 cm

🔍 Condition Report
Sheet in excellent overall condition. Minor foxing and light traces of age consistent with the period and nature of the work. Engraved surface well impressed and fully legible. Verso with printed Latin text.