Sign In

- Or use -
Forgot Password Create Account
Description

De Jode's Holy Roman Empire

This is a striking full color example of this finely engraved map of the Holy Roman Empire, which appeared in the 1593 edition of De Jode's Speculum Orbis Terrae, one of the great modern world atlases of the 16th Century, rivaled only by Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum and Gerard Mecator's Atlas Sive Cosmographicae.

This rare map of Germany and its surrounding countries offers a detailed depiction of the domain of the Holy Roman emperors in the late 16th century. Published in 1593, two years after Gerard de Jode's death, it appeared exclusively in the final edition of his renowned atlas, Speculum Orbis Terrae, which was completed and published by his son, Cornelius de Jode.  

The map extends from the Netherlands in the west to Poland in the east and from Holstein in the north to Switzerland and northern Italy in the south. It provides a comprehensive view of the territories governed by the Holy Roman Empire, capturing the geopolitical landscape of the period.

A striking feature of the map is the elaborate title cartouche in the bottom left corner. The cartouche features the Holy Roman Emperor enthroned under a grand canopy, symbolizing his authority. Flanking the emperor are the seven prince-electors, portrayed in ceremonial attire, emphasizing their pivotal role in the empire's governance. Beneath each elector, a small coat of arms denotes their respective territories. The three ecclesiastical electors—the Archbishops of Trier, Cologne, and Mainz—stand to the emperor's left, while the four secular electors—the King of Bohemia, the Count Palatine of the Rhine, the Duke of Saxony, and the Margrave of Brandenburg—are positioned to his right.

The cartouche’s intricate baroque design, combined with the map's detailed geographic rendering, underscores both the political structure of the Holy Roman Empire and the artistry of de Jode's cartographic legacy. This map not only reflects the territorial scope of the empire but also serves as a testament to the craftsmanship and symbolic significance of late Renaissance cartography. 

Reference
Skelton, 1965. Introduction. Speculum Orbis Terrae.
Koeman, 2003. Cartographica Neerlandica. Volume III.
Cornelis Koeman, Gunter Schilder, Marco van Egmond, and Peter van der Krogt, 2007. “Commercial Cartography and Map Production in the Low Countries, 1500-ca. 1672.”
Gerard de Jode Biography

Gerard De Jode (1509-1591) was a pre-eminent mapmaker in the late seventeenth century, a time when the Dutch dominated the map trade. He was known for his many maps, some of which featured in Speculum Orbis Terrae (first edition Antwerp: 1578). Although never as successful as Ortelius’ Theatrum, the Speculum did get republished in a second edition in 1593, two years after De Jode’s death, by Arnold Coninx, and included this map. After his death, Gerard’s son, Cornelis (1568-1600), and his wife, Paschina, ran the shop. Unfortunately, Cornelis died young in 1600, aged only 32, and the stock and plates were sold to the publisher Joan Baptista Vrients.