Mayland / der werlt Blat LXXII

Title

Mayland / der werlt Blat LXXII

Description

Depiction of the city of Milan in Italy; the reverse side features 12 depictions of prophets, philosophers and kings. Printed by Anton Koberger in Nuremberg in 1493.

ca. 1493

Artist

Schedel (1440-1515)

Hartmann Schedel (1440–1515) from Nuremberg is best known for the 1493 publication of the Schedel’s World Chronicle (Liber chronicarum), a universal history featuring 1,809 woodcuts—making it the most richly illustrated book of early printing. The chronicle, written in Latin by Schedel for merchants Sebald Schreyer and Sebastian Kammermeister, was translated into German by Georg Alt and printed by Anton Koberger. The illustrations came from the workshop of Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff. The work covers world history up to 1492/93, divided into eight ages of the world, and draws on numerous sources, including Jacobus Foresta and Enea Silvio Piccolomini. Notably, it features highly accurate city views, many depicted in detail for the first time. Pleydenwurff introduced a new perspective by portraying cities from a fixed viewpoint, emphasizing their unique architectural and landscape features. The project was funded in part by the patron Sebald Schreyer.

Historical Description

Soon after 400 BC, the area around Milan was settled by the Celtic Insubrians. In 222 BC the Romans conquered this settlement and used the Latin name Mediolanum. After several centuries of Roman rule, Milan was made one of the residential cities of the Empire in 286 under Emperor Diocletian. In 402 the city was besieged by Visigoths, after which the imperial residence was transferred to Ravenna. In the Lombard League of Cities, founded in 1167, Milan took the leading role. In 1450 Milan fell to the noble Sforza family, who developed it into one of the leading cities of the Italian Renaissance. In 1492, the French king Louis XII first laid claim to the duchy. After his victory over the Swiss in 1515 at the Battle of Marignano, the duchy was once again granted to France's King Francis I. After Charles V's victory over Francis I in 1525, Milan also fell to the House of Habsburg along with northern Italy. In 1556 Charles V abdicated in favor of his son Philip II and his brother Ferdinand of Habsburg, so that the Italian possessions passed to the Spanish line of the Habsburgs founded by Philip II. In 1714, in the Peace of Rastatt, Lombardy with its capital Milan and the Duchy of Mantua were formally granted to the Austrian Habsburgs. Napoleon conquered Lombardy in 1796. Milan was declared the capital of the Cisalpine Republic. After the end of Napoleon's occupation, at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Milan and Lombardy, as well as Veneto, were again granted to Austria. After the defeat of Austria by the troops of Sardinia-Piedmont allied with France at the Battle of Solferino, all of Lombardy fell in 1859 to the House of Sardinia-Piedmont under Victor Emmanuel II, the nucleus of the then nascent Kingdom of Italy.