Beschreibung der Statt Wirtzburg mit sampt dem fürstlichen Schloß - Herbipolis - Wirtzburg

Large, early woodcut view of Würzburg in Bavaria by Sebastian Munster on the full double sheet. Viewed from east, in the background the Main river and the fortress Marienberg. Title, description of the city and another woodcut view of the fortress of Marienberg on verso. From the German edition of Sebastian Munster's Cosmography, titled Cosmographey oder beschreibung aller Länder, published 1574 by Heinrich Petri in Basel.

Excellent condition.

Sebastian Münster was born 1489 in Ingelheim (Pfalz). First being a Franciscan, he became Professor for Theology, Hebrew and Mathematics after he converted to Protestantism in 1529. He became one of the most influencing geographers of the sixteenth century. His Cosmographia, published in 1544, spread geographical knowledge wide over Europe. It was issued in nearly 40 editions and 6 languages. Münster was the first cartographer publishing each known continent on a separate map. His second important work was the Geographia, a new edition of Ptolemys Geographia. He died May 1552 in Basel on Black Death.