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Description

A Rare Visscher Map of Barcelona

Rare Dutch map of the area around Barcelona by Nicolas Visscher, published in 1706 in Amsterdam.

The map extends from the Barcelona Harbor and its fortified walls at the beginning of the 18th Century, to the coastal fortifications and mountains to the northwest, showing Recolets de N.D. (Notre Dame?), Dependance de S. Martin, and a number of roads, rivers, buildings and other place names. Mountjuic (Mount Ioui) is named and its fortifications shown.

The simplified town pan shows the primary buildings within the old and new town, separated by the Muraille appelle la Ramble (Las Ramblas), completely dividing the city within the fortified walls.

Rarity

While the later De Fer edition of this map published in Paris appears periodically on the market, this Visscher edition is very rare.

Nicolaes Visscher II Biography

Nicolaas Visscher II (1649-1702) was a prominent Dutch cartographer and publisher during the late 17th century. He was the grandson of Claes Janszoon Visscher and the son of Nicolaes Visscher I, both of whom were also renowned cartographers in their own right. After his father's death in 1679, Nicolaas Visscher II took over the family's map publishing business.

In 1680, he married Elizabeth Verseyl from Gouda, and in 1682, he obtained a new privilege from the States of Holland and West Friesland to protect his maps and publications from being copied. Visscher II continued the family tradition of producing high-quality maps, atlases, and globes, often with elaborate and decorative elements. He maintained the Visscher family's reputation for accuracy and craftsmanship in the competitive world of Dutch cartography until his death in 1702. After his death, his widow, Elizabeth, and later his son, also named Nicolaas, continued the business until around 1726.