This work is extra illustrated with the extremely rare, separately published Philippe Galle folding plan of the city of Antwerp dated 1581. Couvreur reports examples in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam acquired from Antiquariat Hans Marcus in 1981. He reports a second known example was sold privately about the same time by the Campo Art Gallery. He goes on to state that ‘Galle’s city plan of 1581—partly due to its limited (?) print run—has remained virtually hidden and almost fallen into oblivion. As a reflection of the military and ecclesiastical situation in Antwerp in 1581, this plan with its appendix possesses undeniable iconographic and historical value. For contemporaries, the open citadel was simply the symbol of the regained Dutch freedom’. This was issued at a time when Antwerp was the centre of Dutch culture and economic activity and at the forefront of Dutch resistance to Spanish rule. Below the engraved date on this example written by hand is ‘Tempore rebellionis’ meaning ‘at the time of the rebellion’.

Jacopo Guicciardini who was a successful merchant in Florence who sent five sons to Antwerp to run a branch of the business there. The first was Agnolo who arrived in 1522, Lodovico (1521-89) followed later in 1539. The ‘Descrittione … di tutti i Paesi-Bassi’ was and remains an important account of the Netherlands from the sixteenth century, especially regarding Antwerp. It provided geographical detail, cultural, economic, and historical at a time the regions influence was expanding. The first edition contained just 15 woodcuts and 2 engravings. Along with the printer Willem Silvius, Guicciardini was keen to see the work improved, expanded, and better illustrated. Silvius died in 1580 and in 1583 the blocks and plates were sold by his widow to Christoffel Plantin (c.1520-89).

At some point Guicciardini began to work with Plantin whose successful publishing house set about a new edition. They drew upon several sources to do so including amongst several, Georg Braun, Frans Hogenberg, and Abraham Ortelius. The final work published in 1581 was superior in every regard and finished to a very high standard. A French translation by François de Belleforest was published the following year. Both Guicciardini and Plantin died in 1689.

The work was resurrected in Amsterdam by Cornelis Claesz (1560-1609), an extremely successful printer, publisher, and bookseller. In 1609, the year of his death, and following the signing of a Truce, he published a virtually intact version of the text which was expanded by ‘Addenda’ written by Petrus Montanus with detailed descriptions of the struggles that had occurred. Many of Plantin’s original plates were copied but Claesz arranged for fourteen new one mostly of the northern provinces to be made. Plans for Dutch and Latin editions, long thought of, remained on hold.

When Claesz’s stock was sold at auction in May 1610, Willem Jansz [Blaeu] was a major buyer including these plates. A Dutch edition was published in 1612 and this first Latin edition finally in 1613. This retained the ‘Additamentum’ written by Montanus and includes a new general map with the shields of the seventeen provinces surrounding the title.

Like many examples this copy does not collate fully with the table at the front. Plate numbers 42-46, 64, 86, and 87. The former group called for in the table are of Amsterdam and often replaced. Here the additional plates are one of S. Nicolaes Ouwe Kerk (one is called for), a fabulous plate of the ‘Byrsa Amsterodamensis’ engraved by Claes Jansz. Visscher (1587-1652), and a plate depicting ‘Het Stathuys’ and ‘de Waegh’. The often-lacking view of Vlissingen is present as is an additional view of Dunkerque sometimes found. A section near the end provides an early eight-page description of Luxembourg with a map and plan the city. Brunet (1860-80) II 1806; Couvreur, Prof. Walter. (1985). ‘Galle and Hoefnagel’s city maps and the Antwerp fortifications from September 1577 to February 1581’, in ‘The Golden Compass’ vols. 61-63, pp. 519-45; Lombaerde, Piet & Geerts, Katelijne. (2015). ‘Antwerp Portrayed: The Golden Age in Maps and Prints’; Schilder (2003) MCN VII pp. 489-521; Shirley (2004) G.Guic 3b; Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004).