La Ville et Chasteau de Nice - F. de Belleforest 1575

📜 Description
Woodcut view depicting the city and castle of Nice, published in Paris in 1575 within François de Belleforest’s “Cosmographie Universelle de tout le Monde”. The composition presents the fortified urban structure of the city overlooking the Ligurian Sea, with particular emphasis on the defensive walls, the elevated castle complex, the harbor installations, and the dense network of streets and buildings enclosed within the fortifications. The surrounding coastal landscape and maritime setting contribute to the geographical and strategic interpretation of the image. The engraved title “La Ville et Chasteau de Nice” clearly identifies the subject and places the work within the tradition of Renaissance cosmographic illustration. Executed in woodcut technique, the image is characterized by a vivid and orderly visual structure, balancing documentary intent with illustrative effectiveness. This print represents a significant iconographic testimony to the city of Nice during the late 16th century and reflects the growing European interest in urban representation and territorial description during the Renaissance.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
François de Belleforest was among the leading French cosmographers and authors of the 16th century, renowned for encyclopedic works dedicated to the description of the known world. His “Cosmographie Universelle de tout le Monde” combined geographical, historical, and descriptive information with numerous illustrated city views intended for a cultivated European readership. Woodcut views of this type played a fundamental role in the dissemination of geographical and urban knowledge during the Renaissance period.

🧾 Technical Data
Type: Antique view
Author / Maker: François de Belleforest
Publisher / Printer: Nicolas Chesneau – Michel Sonnius
Place: Paris
Period: 1575
Material: Paper
Technique: Woodcut
Subject / Title: “La Ville et Chasteau de Nice”
Edition / Print Run: From “Cosmographie Universelle de tout le Monde”
Dimensions: Sheet approx. 23 x 34 cm; image approx. 20 x 29.5 cm

🔍 Condition Report
Sheet in very good overall condition with light and normal signs of age. Engraved surface well impressed and clearly legible. French text on verso.