1550 Munster Leaf: Lombardy Milan Man Kissing Horse

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1550 Description of Milan, Italy from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster
Lombards and Lombardy, History of Milan

One Woodcut Picture: Man Kissing Horse's Back

Two authentic woodcut leaves from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster. German edition; Basel printing house of Sebastian Heinrich-Petri 1550. Book II ("Von Italia"), pages cxcv-cxcvi (195-195).

Sebastian Münster (1488-1552) was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and Hebrew scholar whose Cosmographia (1544; "Cosmography") was the earliest German description of the world and a major work - after the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493 - in the revival of geographic thought in 16th-century Europe. Altogether, about 40 editions of the Cosmographia appeared during 1544-1628. Although other cosmographies predate Münster's, he is given first place in historical discussions of this sort of publication, and was a major influence on his subject for over 200 years. Cosmographia contained not only the latest maps and views of many well-known cities, but included an encyclopaedic amount of detail about the known - and unknown - world and undoubtedly must have been one of the most widely read books of its time. Aside from the well-known maps and views present in the Cosmographia (including the first separate printed map of the Western Hemisphere), the text is thickly sprinkled with vigorous woodcuts: portraits of kings and princes, costumes and occupations, habits and customs, flora and fauna, monsters and horrors. Of about 20 German editions of the Cosmographia, the 1550 edition is the most valued. Click here for the title page of the 1550 German edition (not included).

Click here for more information about Münster and Cosmographia, including the content and list of editions and artists

This most interesting authentic leaf from the 1550 German edition of Cosmographia is devoted to Lombardy and Milan, Italy. Page 195 talks about the Lombards (Longobardi), one of the Germanic tribes that formed the Suebi, and during the 1st century AD their home was in northwestern Germany. By the end of the 5th century they had moved into the area roughly coinciding with modern Austria north of the Danube River. In the spring of 568 the Lombards crossed the Julian Alps. Their invasion of northern Italy was almost unopposed, and by late 569 they had conquered all the principal cities north of the Po River except Pavia, which fell in 572. The Lombards converted from Arianism to orthodox Christianity in the latter part of the 7th century. The invasion of papal territories by the Lombard kings Aistulf (reigned 749-756) and Desiderius (reigned 756-774) compelled Pope Adrian I to seek aid from the Frankish king Charlemagne. The Franks entered Italy in 773, and after a year's siege Pavia fell to their armies. Desiderius was captured, and Charlemagne became king of the Lombards as well as of the Franks. Lombard rule in Italy thus came to an end. The Lombards gave their name to the northern Italian region that was their stronghold, now known as Lombardy.

The following section describes the conquest of Milan by Frederick I Barbarossa, In 1045, as a result of tensions engendered by the authority of the archbishops and because of the increasing growth and stability of the city as a whole, Milan constituted itself as a commune, with permanent and autonomous governmental structures. In the resultant struggle for primacy among the cities of Lombardy, Milan became involved in a series of long battles against its less prosperous neighbours. In 1111 the Milanese razed Lodi, and, after a bitter struggle lasting from 1118 to 1127, Como was destroyed. This was the pretext for the intervention of Frederick I Barbarossa, who decided to bring Milan under the direct authority of the central imperial power of his Holy Roman Empire. The city held out until 1162, when it yielded after a nine-month siege. Its fortifications were then razed, and the destruction of the city was such that the Milanese were forced to seek refuge in the surrounding countryside.

The last section on p. 196 talks about the struggle between the Torriani family and the Viscontis, following the Battle of Cortenuova (1237). The Torrianis, leaders of the new popular forces, took the name of Guelfs; the Viscontis, followed by the aristocracy, headed the Ghibelline faction. The leaf contains an intriguing woodcut picture of a woman rinding a horse and a man kissing horse's back. See pictures for more details; click image to view larger version.

Page measures 8.3 x 12.8 inches. Wide margins suitable for framing. Printed on quality laid paper. The leaf is in good condition. Imperfections: minor handling and staining in margins; one faint diagonal stain. This is a rare and exceptionally interesting historical document which will look great with a mat and frame.

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