Nissa

Title

Nissa

Description

Representation of the city of Nice in France. Verso with German text and an illustration of Saint Bernardinus.

ca. 1495

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

Probably around 350 BC, the Phocaeans from the area around Marseilles defeated the Ligurians and founded Νίκαια Níkaia ("the Victorious", after Nike, the goddess of victory). n the fifth century, Cemenelum was abandoned in favor of Nikaia. Provence fell to the Ostrogoths in 508, and to the Frankish Empire in 536. In 813, 859, and 880, Nice was sacked by Saracen invaders who came from the sea. Also in the following period (e.g. in 943) the city was at the mercy of Muslim attacks. The Muslims had established themselves in the nearby Fraxinetum from 888 until around 975, before Count William of Provence was able to drive them out. In 1144 a city council ("Consulat") is mentioned, in 1176 a first city constitution. However, Nice remained subject to the County of Provence, so that in the twelfth century the city was Aragonese and from 1246 belonged to the House of Anjou. In the 13th century, competition with Genoa became increasingly noticeable, which even briefly gained suzerainty over the city around 1215. In 1524, Francis I of Valois-Angoulême passed through the county of Nice to assert French claims in Lombardy against the Habsburgs. Two years later, a truce between Francis I and Charles V was negotiated in Nice through the mediation of Pope Paul III. In 1543, the siege and sack of Nice by the French troops and the fleet of Khair ad-Din Barbarossa took place; the citadel was held. According to local tradition, it was a washerwoman, Catherine Ségourane, who, as a "Joan of Arc of Nice", forced the Turks to leave. In 1600, Henry IV had the city besieged. On the occasion of the Peace of Lyon of 1601, Nice remained with the Duchy of Savoy, which established one of the three courts of the country here in 1614. In 1744, during the War of the Austrian Succession, Franco-Spanish troops conquered the county, which, however, was again granted to Savoy in the Peace of Aachen of 1748. In 1749, the Bassin Lympia, today's port, was created. In 1793, after a referendum, the county was annexed to France and became the 85th département with the name Alpes-Maritimes.