Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) - Cosmographia Universalis - Latteria / Caseificio / Città di Cheb / Eger - 1550

This original sheet is a precious Renaissance page drawn from the Latin edition of 1550 of Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia universalis, printed in Basel by the publisher Heinrich Petri and devoted to the description of the great cities of the Empire. The front of the page, numbered 947 in Liber III, opens with the long dynastic dissensions between Louis the Bavarian and Frederick of Habsburg, culminating in the famous Battle of Mühldorf in 1322 and the exile of the latter’s supporters. The text then moves to a detailed description of the city of Eger (modern Cheb, historically tied to Bohemia), retracing how Emperor Louis compelled and attached it to the Bohemian crown in 1315 for the substantial sum of 400,000 florins (Egra translatá ut ab imperio). Münster discusses the geographical identification by Ptolemy, who linked the place to the city of Monofagadam, cites the studies of the humanist Willibald Pirckheimer, and analyzes the ancient toponymy surrounding the Ohře river (Egra ut hodie), praising the beauty of the valley and the sturdiness of its double fortified walls (Egra situs amoenus). Turning the page, the reverse, numbered 948 (under the header De Germania), continues the urban and institutional examination of Eger, describing its renowned beer production (Promulsis), the canals and the presence of imposing religious and civil buildings, including the Monastery of Santa Chiara, the parish church of Saint John, and the sumptuous Curia senatoris, seat of the town council since the time of Charles IV and used as military headquarters in 1547. The central section offers an in-depth analysis of the political composition of the Eger Senate (Senatus Egrensis), a solid form of government formed by nineteen patricians from the city’s oldest families, supported by seventy councillors elected from the people. The names of illustrious jurists and local patrons are celebrated, including Clemens Buchelbergerus, Erhardus Vuergnerus, Michael Fontanus, and Nicolaus Keslerus, described as men of great prudence and erudition who kept the republic prosperous and independent. The lower part of the page finally describes the efficiency of public infrastructures (granaries, mills, public baths) and the famous slightly acidic medicinal spring known as Sauerling (Sauerling fons acidus), whose healthy waters were daily drawn by citizens for their therapeutic virtues.

Dimensions 30 x 20 cm
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