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Description

This map offers a detailed view of the Rhine Palatinate Region of Germany, focusing on the Rhine River. Its unconventional orientation, with South at the top, was a distinctive feature during this era of cartography, used primarily to highlight specific geographical or political aspects of the region.

Several significant cities of the region, including Frankfurt, Mainz, Worms, Manheim, Stuttgart, Pforzheim, and Heidelberg, are depicted with relative accuracy considering the technology and geographical knowledge of the time. Each city is positioned near the meandering course of the Rhine, a testament to the river's historical importance as a trade and transportation route.

In addition to its geographical significance, the map carries cultural and historical weight. The Bavarian Coat of Arms is prominently featured, symbolizing the map's regional context. This heraldic representation was a common practice during this period, providing a sense of identity and political affiliation.

The Rhine Palatinate, during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, found itself at the heart of complex political and religious changes in Europe. It was the period of the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, which divided the Holy Roman Empire into Protestant and Catholic factions. This tension set the stage for the infamous Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), one of the most destructive conflicts in European history.

The Palatinate, under the rule of the Electors Palatine, was known for its significant political role within the Empire. As one of the seven Electors, the ruler of the Palatinate held a crucial vote in the election of the Holy Roman Emperor. The inclusion of Frederick IV, the Elector Palatine at the time the "Florentissimus Rheni Palatinatus" was created, highlights this political relevance.

Frederick IV (1574-1610), also known as "Frederick the Righteous," took the helm of the Rhine Palatinate in the wake of the turmoil caused by religious tensions. His father died in October 1583, and Frederick came under the guardianship of his uncle, John Casimir, an ardent Calvinist, who ruled as regent until his death. The Calvinist mathematician and astronomer Bartholemaeus Pitiscus served as Frederick's tutor and later became court preacher.

In January 1592, John Casimir died and the 17 year old Frederick assumed control of the government of the Electorate of the Palatinate. Overall, his rule, from 1583 to 1610, was marked by his firm commitment to Calvinism, which set him apart in an Empire still largely divided between Catholicism and Lutheranism. Frederick IV's Calvinist position led to the establishment of the Protestant Union in 1608, a coalition of Protestant states intended to provide mutual protection against any Catholic aggression. This was a significant development as it marked a notable escalation in the religious tensions brewing within the Holy Roman Empire.

The present map was produced by two of the primary Cologne School mapmakers, Johann Bussemacher and Matthias Quad. The Cologne School of cartography, was perhaps the only group of mapmakers competing with the Low Countries-based map publishing houses at the end of the 16th century (De Jode and Ortelius). For more on the Cologne School, see: Meurer, Atlantes Colonienses. Die Kolner Schule der Atlas Kartographie 1570-1610.

Matthias Quad Biography

Matthias Quad (1557-1613), a map publisher based in Cologne, was trained in the Netherlands by Johannes van Doetecum, who also worked with the De Jodes. Quad used many De Jode maps as a base to which he added additional information and decorations. Quad was best known for his atlases, which were part of the first boom in atlases best characterized by Abraham Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. In 1592, Quad released an atlas of Europe that had 38 maps. He expanded it in 1594 to 50 maps. In 1600, he expanded the collection of maps further still, this time to 82 maps, and called the atlas, Geographisch Handtbuch. All three were small in size, allowing them to compete as cheaper alternatives to the larger atlases of Ortelius, Mercator, and the De Jodes. Quad released one other atlas, in 1608, with 86 maps, the Fascilus Geographicus.