Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) - Cosmographia Universalis - Innesti e città di Ulma - 1550

This original sheet is a precious Renaissance page drawn from the Latin edition of 1550 of the Cosmographia universalis by Sebastian Münster, printed in Basel by the publisher Heinrich Petri and part of Liber III dedicated to Germany. The text and the accompanying woodcut fuse contemporary agronomic traditions with the geographical and monastic description of the ancient Swabian towns. The narrative delves into the history and commercial importance of the famous city of Ulm (Vlma, Chap. CCCXLI), described for its strategic position at the confluence of rivers and for its historical ties to the imperial privileges of Charlemagne and to Emperor Frederick, without neglecting the dramatic invasions of the Huns suffered by the nearby Wimpfen (Vvimpina vulgo Vvimpffen, Chap. CCCXL). A detailed section of the text, accompanied by a characteristic woodcut showing peasants and agronomists at work in the fields, is devoted to the botanical and agronomic art of cultivating and grafting fruit trees (Incisiones arborum), citing the classical precepts of Varro. The chronicle concludes by examining a series of important towns and monastic institutions of the region, including Geislingen, Gundelfingen and the renowned monasteries of Elchingen, Lorch and Kaisheim (Monasteria, Chap. CCCXLIII), listing their founding dates, religious privileges and their close ties with the Dukes of Swabia.

Dimensions 30 x 20 cm
Will be shipped by courier