|
||
|
|
|
|
This map of Madrid, first produced by Frederick De Wit, offers a fascinating view of the Spanish capital as it appeared during the height of Habsburg's influence. Rendered after a design by the Italian mapmaker Antonio Mancelli, this depiction captures Madrid as a bustling seat of power, aligning with the artistic and architectural grandeur of the 17th century.
The title, La Villa de Madrid Corte de los Reyes Catolicos de Espanna, prominently emphasizes Madrid’s stature as a center for the Catholic Monarchs. The city’s intricate layout is carefully represented, with streets and plazas forming a dense network that converges around grand structures and palatial buildings. Noteworthy buildings are highlighted, including El Palacio Real del Su Mag. Chatolica (Royal Alcázar of Madrid) and various churches.
Along the left, the Río de Manzanares flows gently past the city, with La Puente Segouiana connecting the urban core to the surrounding areas. In the upper left, the city’s coat of arms, featuring the bear and strawberry tree, asserts Madrid’s identity, framed by a bold red shield.
An angelic figure in the upper right corner hovers over the city, holding a banner—a nod to both Madrid’s heavenly protection and the symbolic importance of the city under the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. Beneath the map, a legend identifies key sites and landmarks, providing an index that enhances the viewer’s understanding of Madrid’s layout and focal points.
States
Another state of the map bears the imprint of Frederick de Wit.
De Wit (1629 ca.-1706) was a mapmaker and mapseller who was born in Gouda but who worked and died in Amsterdam. He moved to the city in 1648, where he opened a printing operation under the name of "de dry Crabben" (The Three Crabs); in 1655, he changed the name of his shop to "de Witte Paskaert" (The White Chart). From the 1660s onward, he published atlases with a variety of maps; he is best known for these atlases and his Dutch town maps. He gained a privilege from the States General in 1688. After Frederik’s death in 1706, his wife Maria ran the shop for four years before selling it. Their son, Franciscus, was a stockfish merchant and had no interest in the map shop. At the auction to liquidate the de Wit stock, most of the plates went to Pieter Mortier, whose firm eventually became Covens & Mortier, one of the biggest cartography houses of the eighteenth century.
![[Cadiz] Isle Ville et Port De Cadis en Espagne de la Province d'Andalousie a 36.D. de Latitude et 12 Degrez 45 Minutes de Longitude](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/62354.jpg)