Jacob Le Roy (1633–1719) - Set of 3: Castles of Louvain Territory

This set of three topographical plates presents the castles, manors and noble estates of the Duchy of Brabant, the heart of the Southern Netherlands, as recorded at the close of the seventeenth century. Each sheet combines precise architectural views with coats of arms and descriptive texts in several languages, an elegant format typical of the great chorographical works of the period. Castles of the Louvain Territory: a plate devoted to aristocratic seats in the region around Leuven, showing fortified manors and their grounds, accompanied by the heraldic arms of their owners and printed historical descriptions. Castles of the Brussels Territory: a companion plate documenting noble residences in the countryside around Brussels, with careful renderings of towers, gatehouses and surrounding landscape, framed by heraldic shields and multilingual text. Bouchout Castle: an expansive bird's-eye view of the moated castle of Bouchout at Meise, north of Brussels, showing its towers, courtyards, formal parterre gardens and estate grounds within the surrounding countryside. A medieval stronghold remodelled over the centuries, Bouchout later became the residence of Empress Charlotte of Mexico, and its domain is today home to the Meise Botanic Garden. The plates come from Jacob Le Roy's celebrated survey of the castles and religious houses of Brabant, first published as Castella et praetoria nobilium Brabantiae coenobiaque celebriora in the 1690s and later reissued in expanded editions such as Le Grand Théâtre profane du duché de Brabant (1730). The work brought together views of hundreds of noble residences and abbeys, engraved by skilled Flemish and Dutch printmakers including Jacobus Harrewijn. Its plates are among the most important visual records of the architecture, gardens and landed society of the Southern Netherlands, and many of the buildings they show have since been altered or have disappeared. Jacob Le Roy (1633–1719) was a Flemish nobleman, historian and antiquarian, born in Antwerp and later created a baron of the Holy Roman Empire. He held office in the administration of the Spanish Netherlands and devoted much of his life to the history, genealogy and topography of Brabant. Besides his survey of castles and monasteries, he published the Notitia Marchionatus Sacri Romani Imperii (1678), a richly illustrated description of the Margraviate of Antwerp. Le Roy's publications remain essential sources for the history of the noble families and historic buildings of the region. Artist or Maker: Jacob Le Roy Dimensions: Approximately 41 cm x 28 cm (each). Medium: Engraving. Date: 17th Century. SKU: PLA-0930-2 ____ Shipping & Combined Purchases: We are happy to combine multiple purchases into one shipment, helping you save on shipping costs. Please contact us before making payment so that we can calculate and adjust the shipping cost accordingly. All items are professionally packed and shipped from France by Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) on behalf of Dahlströms Rare Prints OÜ, Estonia. Every shipment is fully insured and sent exclusively via UPS or FedEx, with tracking provided after dispatch. We handle every shipment with the utmost care, ensuring that our antique prints, maps and rare books arrive safely and in the condition described.

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