| Record ID | cp012170 |
| Voet reference number | 1277 |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:373163 |
| Author | Ludovico (or Lodovico) GUICCIARDINI |
| Title page transcription | [French title:] Descrittione ‖ di tutti ‖ i paesi Bassi [Within engraved title-page, typographically printed text:] † DESCRITTONE □ DI M. LODOVICO ‖ GVICCIARDINI PATRI- ‖ TIO FIORENTINO, ‖ DI TVTTI I PAESI BASSI, ‖ ALTRIMENTI DETTI ‖ GERMANIA INFERIORE. ‖ Con tutte le carte di Geographia del paese, & col ‖ ritratto naturale di molte terre principali; ‖ Riueduta di nuouo, & ampliata per tutto piu ‖ che la meta dal medesimo autore. ‖ AL GRAN'RE CATTOLICO ‖ FILIPPO D'AVSTRIA. ‖ Con amplissimo INDICE di tutte le cose piu memorabili. ‡ IN ANVERSA, ‖ Apresso Christofano Plantino, Stampatore Regio. ‖ M.D.LXXXI. |
| Collation | Folio [252]: [*⁴], **⁶, A-F⁶, G-H, I⁸, K⁴, L, M⁶, N, O-P⁶, Q-R⁴, S⁶, T⁴, V⁴, X⁴, Y, Z⁶, a⁶, b-c⁴, d-h, i⁴, k-l, m⁴, n, o⁴, p-t, v⁴, x, yⁱ, z, Aa, Bb⁴, Cc-Dd⁶, Ee-Gg, Hh-Kk⁴, Ll-Mm, Nn⁴, Oo-Qq, Rr⁴, Ss-Tt, Vv⁴, Xx-Zz, aa-bb, cc⁴, dd⁶, ee, ff⁴, gg-mm, nn⁶, oo, pp-qq⁶; pages [1-20], 1-558 (= for 556), [557-574] (Errors: 22-23 for 18-19; 330-331 omitted, meaning that from 332 onwards numeration too high by two units) |
| Fingerprint | |
| Number of sheets | |
| Pages | [1]: French title [2]: illustration [3]: Title [4-5]: illustrations [6]: Coat-of-arms of Guicciardini [7-18]: Poems in Latin, Dutch, Greek, Italian and French by Nico. Grudius, Gaspar Schetus, Alexander Graphaeus, Ioannes Latomus (2nd in Dutch), Theodorus De Berty, Stephano Ambrosio Schiappalaria (in Italian), Senno Poggini (in Italian), Ant. Olivier (in French), Gerardus Falckenbergius (in Greek) (roman type, italic type, gothic type, greek type) [19]: Al gran re cattolico (Antwerp, 20 October 1566, signed by Lodovico Guicciardini) [20]: Lodovico Guicciardini al lettore (Antwerp, 20 October 1566; italic type) 1-558 (= for 556): Text (parts in italic type) [557-573]: Indices (on three columns) [573]: Privilege (Antwerp, Privy Council, and Council of Brabant, 1 July 1580, s. Mesdach) [574]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Variants | The text-part seems to be identical in all copies. The illustrations can vary (in some copies, e.g., the maps of Tournai and Cambrai have been added [cf. Touwaide, page 64]), but these additions and changes must have been done by the owners of the copies. 2) Real variants seem only to be connected with the two plates having cut-out medallions in the introductory section of illustrations: the plate with the arms of the 17 Provinces on page [4] has in most copies, pasted onto the cut-out centerpart, a smaller plate with the arms of Philip II; similarly the plate with the allegorical representation of Arts and Sciences on page [5] has in most copies, pasted onto the cut-out centerpart, a smaller plate with the portrait of Philip II, whilst in the two small cut-out medallions above and underneath the portrait are pasted typographically printed texts: 'Nec spe, nec ‖ metv' and 'Iam illvstra- ‖ bit omnia'. In some copies, however, these pasted-on illustrations are missing; according to Touwaide, page 59: in the copies of University Library Basel and NL Prague, whilst in the copy of Ghent University Library, if it has the portrait of Philip II on page [5], the arms of the Spanish King are missing on page [4]. The omissions in these copies can have been an involuntary error, or can have been voluntary made for copies intended for a market where Philip II was not very popular. |
| Illustrations | 1) Woodcut: Coat-of-arms of L. Guicciardini, with his device 'Nequid nimis', 163 × c. 115, and the monogram of the woodcutter Antoon van Leest, on page [6]. 2) Copper engravings: 1º Four introductory pieces (burinengravings): 1) on page [2]: Allegorical representation of the Netherlands, 295 × 183, with the monograms of the designer, Crispin van den Broeck, and the engraver, Abraham de Bruyn 2) on page [3]: Title-page with cut-out parts for the typographical texts, 271 × 185 3) on page [4]: Coats-of-arms of the 17 provinces of the Netherlands, with cut-out centerpart, 286 × 185. In most copies is pasted on the cut-out centerpart a smaller illustration, 100 × 80, with the arms of Philip II 4) on page [5]: Allegorical representation of Arts and Sciences, with cut-out parts (centerpiece, and two smaller medallions above and underneath), 278 × 188. In most copies is pasted on the cut-out centerpart a smaller illustration, with the portrait of Philip II, and in the medallions typographically printed texts: 'Nec spe, nec ‖ metv' and 'Iam illvstra- ‖ bit omnia'. 2º Illustrations: 55 engravings with maps of the provinces, plans of the towns of the Netherlands, some views of Antwerp and one of the Arx Britannica (original plates still preserved in Museum Plantin-Moretus). They are printed in the text (and generally announced on the preceding page by a title within a decorated cartouche): 1) Map of the Netherlands (237 × 320; between pages [20]-1) 2) Province of Brabant (238 × 319; pages 66-67) 3) Louvain (236 × 321; pages 74-75) 4) Brussels (235 × 320; pages 78-79) 5) Antwerp (238 × 326; pages 88-89) 6) View of the Exchange in Antwerp (237 × 322; pages 100-101) 7) View of the Cathedral in Antwerp (238 × 320; pages 106-107) 8) View of the Town Hall in Antwerp (235 × 321; pages 122-123) 9) View of the Hansa House in Antwerp (237 × 321; pages 160-161) 10)'s Hertogenbosch (234 × 317; pages 186-187) 11) Maastricht (238 × 321; pages 198-199) 12) Lier (239 × 321; pages 206-207) 13) View of Limbourg (239 × 321; pages 218-219) 14) Malines (237 × 321; pages 228-229) 15) Provinces of Gelre and Zutfen (236 × 318; pages 236-237) 16) Nijmegen (237 × 322; pages 242-243) 17) Roermond (231 × 313; pages 246-247) 18) Zutfen (239 × 321; pages 250-251) 19) Arnhem (235 × 338; pages 254-255) 20) Deventer (237 × 323; pages 264-265) 21) Province of Friesland (239 × 321; pages 270-271) 22) Leeuwarden (233 × 314; pages 280-281) 23) Groningen (278 × 323; pages 286-287) 24) Province of Holland (237 × 320; pages 298-299) 25) Dordrecht (237 × 320; pages 306-307) 26) Haarlem (255 × 339; pages 310-311) 27) Delft (237 × 322; pages 314-315) 28) Leiden (246 × 336; pages 314-315) 29) Amsterdam (237 × 323; pages 326-327) 30) The Hague (235 × 325; pages 338-339) 31) Arx Britannica ('Ruinarum Arcis Britannicae apud Batavos typus': ruins of a roman fortification at the seaside near Katwijk) (232 × 324; pages 344-345) 32) Utrecht (238 × 323; pages 354-355) 33) Province of Zeeland (238 × 316; pages 366-367) 34) Middelburg (237 × 322; pages 374-375) 35) Vlissingen (233 × 326; pages 378-379) 36) Province of Flanders (236 × 319; pages 388-389) 37) Ghent (238 × 328; pages 396-397) 38) Bruges (239 × 323; pages 404-405) 39) Ypres (238 × 325; pages 414-415) 40) Gravelines (233 × 308; pages 420-421) 41) Lille (235 × 315, pages 430-431) 42) Douai (234 × 316; pages 434-435) 43) Aalst (Alost) (237 × 321; pages 446-447) 44) Province of Artois (236 × 318; pages 456-457) 45) Arras (240 × 324; pages 462-463) 46) Province of Hainaut (237 × 321; pages 474-475) 47) Mons (237 × 322; pages 478-479) 48) Valenciennes (238 × 324; pages 484-485) 49) Province of Luxembourg (234 × 321; pages 508-509) 50) Luxembourg (236 × 321; pages 514-515) 51) Province of Namur (240 × 323; pages 522-523) 52) View of Namur (240 × 325; pages 526-527) 53) Bishopric of Liège (232 × 311; pages 530-531) 54) View of Liège (235 × 319; pages 534-535) 55) Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) (235 × 317; pages 550-551) Digitasation of the woodblocks and copper plates |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus - A 1342University Library Basel - Basel (Switserland)KBR Royal Library of BelgiumGhent University LibraryUL Liège- R764DBibliothèque nationale de FranceNL PragueBiblioteca Nazionale Centrale di RomaBiblioteca Universitaria AlessandrinaVatican Apolstolic LibraryAustrian National LibraryLibrary of Congress - Washington D.C. (USA)KU Leuven- Maurits Sabbe, P914.915/F° GUIC Desc 1581UNamur- R16B0014- R6B.0097- R6C.0044 |
| Digital copies | University Library Ghent: BIB.ACC.011031 |
| Bibliographical references | Ruelens-de Backer, pages 231-233 (1581, no. 36) Touwaide in De Gulden Passer, 48, 1970, pages 58-83 |
| Online bibliographical references | |
| Note 1 | Second Italian edition, the first having been published by Guilielmus Silvius in 1567. Revised by the author, though the statement on the title-page (often repeated in Plantin's letters and declarations) 'that the work has been enlarged by more than a half' is much exaggerated. The introductory texts, including the poems, the dedicatory to Philip II, and the note to the reader, have also been reproduced from Silvius's 1567-edition (however, in the poems, the one by Ottaviano Palma has been omitted, whilst one by Senno Poggini has been added). Grapheus must have asked to insert in this new edition an eulogy of Plantin, but, as Plantin affirms in a letter of November-December 1581, Guicciardini refused to have it reproduced either in the Italian [1581] edition or in the French translation [published in 1582] (Corr., VII, no. 963). |
| Note 2 | On 16 February 1580 Plantin wrote a long letter to G. Silvius (Corr., VI, no. 864; cf. also Suppl. Corr., no. 149), stating his intention to bring a new illustrated edition of the Description, and proposing to buy Silvius's stock of plates, not with the intention of using them (as Plantin puts it in his letter 'encores que je ne m'en veuille servir veu que je fays faire le tout en cuivre en autres grandeurs que les vostres'), but to compensate his competitor for the loss incurred by the fact that Silvius would no more be able to use his plates (Plantin very likely had also in mind to prevent in this way Silvius from putting on the market another edition, which, even if less illustrated, could be harmful to Plantin's sales). Silvius's answer is not known, but the blocks, together with other illustration-material, were only acquired by Plantin in 1583 from Silvius's widow (cf. Rooses, Musée, page 224). |
| Note 3 | The preparatory work for making the maps, plans and views was arduous. Who designed and etched them is mostly a guess. Crispin van den Broeck designed and A. de Bruyn engraved the frontispiece, but this was 'artistic' work. If it is possible that they also designed and engraved the other introductory 'artistic' plates, it is not very likely that they executed the more technical plans and maps. In his letter to Silvius Plantin affirms that Ortelius and some excellent painters and 4 engravers were working hard at it ('…a quoy le Signeur Ortelius avec quelques excellents peintres et quatre tailleurs sont en besongne passe ja quelque temps et advancent for ledict ouvrage…'). Very likely, however, the contribution of Ortelius was limited to advising Plantin on the maps of the provinces - and to permit to have them (or some of them) reproduced from his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. We know furthermore that Plantin obtained the plan of Leiden through the intermediary of the magistrate of the city who paid, on 20 August 1580, 40 florins Carolus guilders to Jan Liefrinck to have it executed and sent to Plantin; that the magistrate of Utrecht also granted a subsidy to have the city's plan executed for Plantin's edition; and that for drawing the plan of Ghent help has been asked of Hendrik van den Keere, who promised on 11 July 1580 to do the job (but very likely his premature death prevented him from fulfilling his promise) (cf. Denucé, pages 148-150; see also Rooses, 'Une lettre de Henri du Tour, le jeune' in Messager des Sciences historiques de Belgique, 1879, pages 449 ff., and Suppl. Corr., nos. 149 and 151, in which Rooses's statements are summarized). As for the engravers, Rooses in Musée, page 224, and in 'Une lettre de Henri du Tour…', supposes that they were 'les graveurs de l'Atlas d'Ortelius', the Hogenbergs of Cologne and their assistants, Ferdinand and Ambrosius Arsenius. This, however, is difficult to accept (cf. also Denucé, pages 150-151). To judge from the style a large number may in fact have been executed by Pieter van der Borcht - but this too is only a guess. Plantin, in any case, had difficulties in obtaining the documentation for a number of plans and maps, and, if he foresaw the possibility to execute in time the plans of Tournai and Cambrai, when the time for printing arrived, he had to leave the corresponding pages blank with the mention 'Per causa della guerra non s'e ancor' potuto hauere il ritratto di questa Citta al naturale'. |
| Note 4 | A number of maps and plans were copied rather faithfully or with only minor changes from already printed works: a) from Silvius's 1567-edition no. 7 (Cathedral of Antwerp); b) From Ortelius, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum: nos. 2 (Province of Brabant), 21 (Province of Friesland), 24 (Province of Holland), 33 (Province of Zeeland), 36 (Province of Flanders); c) From the Civitates Orbis Terrarum, edited by Braun and Hogenberg (editions in 1572 and 1577): nos. 5 (Antwerp), 29 (Amsterdam), 38 (Bruges), 54 (Liège). |
| Note 5 | The plates themselves were printed for Plantin by a specialized intaglio-printer, Mijnken Liefrinck (from 3 February till 29 May 1581: cf. the extracts of the bill in Denucé, pages 161-162). |
| Note 6 | Guicciardini received 50 copies, worth 356 florins Carolus guilders 'pour payement des travaulx prins en lad[ict]te oeuvre', whilst in July 1581 he is noted in the ledger for 40 florins Carolus guilders in books, and was also granted 'rabats' or even remission on the purchase of other books for a total of 72 florins Carolus guilders 2 stuivers (Arch. 18, folio 403; cf. also Denucé, page 153). He was, moreover, gratified by the Antwerp magistrate, for having presented a copy of the edition to the 'Monday Council' of the city, with a golden chain worth 200 pounds (800 florins Carolus guilders), which gift, however, was finally changed into the payment of the sum of 200 pounds in cash (Roobaert, pages 86 and 89-90). It must be added that Guicciardini, at least from 1571, and probably for his Description, received a yearly pension from the city (Roobaert, pages 84-86). |
| Note 7 | In a letter of October-November 1580 Plantin tells Arias Montanus that he has the Descriptio on his presses: 'Guicciardini Descriptionem harum regionum duplo auctiorem Italice habeo sub praelo cui cartae harum omnium regionum et urbes in plano ad vivum expressae suis locis adjungentur omnes in aere excisae. Opus hoc tempore sumptuosiss.' (Corr., VI, no. 892), and on 20 January 1581 he says in passing to Alexander Grapheus that he hopes to have the Descriptio soon finished (Corr., VI, no. 906). The work, however, must finally only have been completed in June-July 1581. On 26 August 1581 Sambucus acknowledges the reception of a shipment of new books, including the 'Belgiae descriptio', but he complains that one of the quires was missing and asks to mail him that part (Corr., VI, no. 939). On 7 October 1581 a copy was shipped to Georges Buchanan (Corr., VI, no. 953), and on 3 November 1581 Plantin hopes that by now de Çayas would have received the copy sent to him (Corr., VI, no. 959). |
| Note 8 | Listed in M 296, folio 5r (Descriptione di Paesi bassi di M. Lod.co Guicco, fº, avec figures en cuivre, f[euilles] -, [price:] florins Carolus guilders 7), M 164, folio 10r, and Ms. 321. |
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