Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) - Cosmographia Universalis...

This original leaf is a precious Renaissance page drawn from the inner sections of the third book in the Latin edition of 1550 of Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia universalis, printed in Basel by the publisher Heinrich Petri. The recto of the page hosts the solemn chorographic section entitled LIBER III (page 817), expressly dedicated by Münster to the description of Germany and its historic districts. The Latin text opens by completing the imperial chamber’s judicial fortunes under Maximilian I and the military incursions that affected Frankfurt, then passing to the chorographic chapters Hennenberga (Cap. CCCCXI) and Babenberga (Cap. CCCCXII). Münster describes with profound solemnity the legendary foundation of the Hennenberg castle by a noble Roman who settled in Franconia, linking the place’s etymology to the discovery of a partridge’s nest. Right below, the chronicle focuses on the noble church of Bamberg (Babenberga), founded by Emperor Henry II the Saint, recounting the interments of the King of Italy Berengar and the deeds of Count Albert. The visual composition of the front is enhanced by two refined half-length wood engravings: the first portrays a noble knight in armor and the second a prelate in solemn robes with the pastoral staff, accompanied by marginal marginalia of contemporary print (Ars gladiatoria quod ris.) aimed at guiding the scholar through the folds of local history. Turning the page, the back (page 818) continues the development of the territorial chronicle under the heading DE GERMANIA, expanding in detail the complex political and religious history of the diocese of Bamberg. The Latin text unfolds as a dense and erudite historiographical discourse that retraces the ancient feudal rivalries, the conflicts between the Counts of Babenberg and the bishops of Mainz, among which stand out the dramatic deceptions attributed to Archbishop Hatto, and the subsequent erection of the magnificent cathedral in the year 1006. Münster examines in detail the imperial privileges granted to the cathedral, the territorial endowments in Bavaria, and the subjugation of vast fiefdoms, finally dwelling on the figure of the pious Empress Cunegunda (Kunegundis), wife of Henry II, celebrated for her spiritual virtues and her impeccable conduct in the face of court slander. The page is solemnly enriched by typographic marginal notes (Hatto delatus ad Aetnam, Cathedralis ecclesia, Kunegundis) and is further enhanced by ancient handwritten glosses in sepia ink at the margins, whose important historical testimonies on the peoples of the Earth have marked European culture and the study of geography across the centuries. Dimensions 30 x 20 cm Will be shipped by courier

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