Netherlands - The Bishopric of Utrecht, North and South Holland, and Gelderland.; Balthasar Florisz - Évêché d’Utrecht - Gravure sur cuivre, coloris d'époque - Balthasar Florisz - 1621-1650

Ancient copper-engraved map, hand-enhanced, of the Diocese of Utrecht (Netherlands) by Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode, published in 1633 in the Mercator-Hondius atlas.

On it, in the upper right, a rolled cartouche bearing the title, the author’s name Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode, and the address of Henricus Hondius dated 1628. It is laid over the Zuiderzee, where two sailing ships and two small boats sail.

On the right edge, a figure in 17th‑century dress holds a ruler serving as a scale, inscribed “Milliare Germanicum commune”.

The towns of Utrecht, Amersfoort, Naarden, Woerden, Montfoort, Wijk bij Duurstede, Rhenen and Culemborg are drawn in plan view and highlighted in red.

The relief of the “Amersfoorder Berch” and the Amerongen wood stand out to the east. The west shows the tight parceling of the polders, with its dikes, canals and bogs. The territorial boundaries are outlined in yellow, pink and green.

The plate is signed at the bottom “Evert Symonszoon Hamersveldt sculpsit”. French text on the verso, “L’Evesché d’Utrecht”, pages 377 and 380.

- Dimensions: on sheet: 56 x 47.5 cm; on the map (cuve): 46.9 x 35.3 cm
- Condition: Very good overall for a map of this period. Presence of brown stains in the corners. See photos for more details.

Atlas Mercator-Hondius
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The atlas called “Mercator-Hondius” continues the work of Gerard Mercator, whose copperplates were bought back by Jodocus Hondius in 1604. This French edition of 1633 is signed by his son Henricus Hondius and his son-in-law Joannes Janssonius, who added new maps.

Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode
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Dutch surveyor, cartographer and engraver born in Delft in 1591, died around 1644–1645. From a family of surveyors, he is the author of a large wall plan of Amsterdam (1625) and several regional maps of the United Provinces. His map of the diocese of Utrecht was engraved by Evert Symonsz. Hamersveldt and published in Amsterdam by Henricus Hondius (1597-1651), son of Jodocus Hondius, who included it in the Mercator-Hondius atlas.