Lyon – Segment of Braun and Hogenberg Two-City View

Charming antique city view of Lyon from the famed Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Braun & Hogenberg’s monumental city atlas (late 16th–early 17th century). This example has been trimmed from its original sheet (which also included Vienna), but retains strong visual appeal and detailed topographical character. A beautiful decorative piece for lovers of French history and cartography.  In the foreground and the Rhône River (Rhosne fluvius) joining from the north, just before their confluence. The city appears nestled between hills and riverbanks, emphasizing Lyon’s historic role as a strategic river port and Roman-founded urban center.

The entire urban core is detailed with defensive walls, bridges, towers, and ecclesiastical buildings, while a numbered key identifies major landmarks. The perspective also highlights the city’s natural amphitheater setting, with the rugged heights of the Fourvière hill (to the right) forming a dramatic backdrop.

Key Features in the Composition:

• Urban Layout: The city unfolds along both riverbanks, with the larger urban mass between the Rhône and Saône. Streets and houses are tightly packed, suggesting a prosperous and bustling mercantile city.

• Bridges and Boats: Several bridges cross the rivers, and small boats and barges populate the waterways, reflecting Lyon’s role as a center of inland trade and transportation.

• Hills and Fortifications: The Fourvière hill rises prominently on the right, topped with buildings and a clearly defined city wall, showcasing the city’s fortified perimeter.

• Architectural Landmarks: Numerous churches, abbeys, and civic structures are labeled numerically, with a reference panel at lower left listing 12 key sites.

Legend (from numbered key on the map):

1. Pierre ancie – Possibly referencing an ancient or notable stone structure (possibly a Roman remnant or notable building).

2. Bastart Sainct Jean – Likely a bastion or fortified tower near the Church of Saint-Jean.

3. La guictière – Possibly a fortified district or gate (etymology uncertain).

4. Veeze – Could refer to a quay or area along the riverside.

5. Forvieres – The hill of Fourvière, historically linked to Roman Lyon and ecclesiastical prominence.

6. Sainct Jean – The Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Lyon’s central cathedral.

7. Cordeliers – The Church and Convent of the Cordeliers (Franciscan order).

8. Nostre dame de confort – Our Lady of Comfort, an important Marian church.

9. La platrière – Possibly a site or area associated with stone or lime production.

10. Celestins – Celestine monastery, once a prominent monastic foundation.

11. Sainct Paul – Église Saint-Paul, another major historic parish church.

12. Pais du Delphinat – “Land of the Dauphiné,” referring to the region beyond Lyon toward the southeast.

Full Sheet showing uneven cropping at bottom – originally this was a page with multiple city views on it:

Text on the Back

Full literal translation of the German from the text shown on the back up to the spot where it has been cut.  Note that a text about Vienna (Wien) is also included on the opposite page. This was originally a sheet showing both Lyon and below it Vienna.

Lyon in Celtic Gaul, formerly a part of the Burgundian Kingdom, is now the capital of the Lyonnais and is considered one of the noblest cities in France, famed for its beauty and glorious appearance. Because of its convenient location, it is also known for being half-German in character. It lies in a pleasant valley, enclosed by two fertile hills, at the confluence of the Rhône — which flows from the Alps toward the sea — and the Arar (now called the Saône), which springs from the Burgundian mountains and joins the Rhône here, gently and almost imperceptibly.

One says that this river Arar received its name from the village of Gorgubione. Just like a brook, it flows calmly as far as Mascon in Burgundy and was thus called Arar, from the Latin meaning “gently flowing.” It is a very old city, as Latin authors such as Pliny, Livy, and Plutarch confirm. Some claim it was founded by Lucius Munatius Plancus in the year 733 after the founding of Rome, and that it was expanded by the Romans, who settled there and established it as a colony under the name Lugdunum. This is confirmed by the inscription:

L. MUNATIUS. L. F. L. N. PRON. P. V. COS. CENS.
Imper. VII. Viri. Epul. Triumph ex Rhoetis, Aedem Saturni, F. de Anubius agros divisit, in Italia benevenit, in Gallias colonias deduxit Lugdunum & Rauricam.

In addition to these marvels, one can also see the marketplace of Venus, on the hill now called Fourvière. There was once a church to the heathen goddess Bellona, and another to Mars, as well as other remarkable and noble structures, including a Roman market. On this market square were raised many fine buildings and Roman-style houses. One still sees there today stone foundations, walls, and columns, as well as fine ancient pavement. The city is justly famous for these structures, and for its churches and ancient halls. It is said that a golden statue of Augustus once stood there, which the Roman Senate dedicated and honored as a god.

There was also a temple of Saturn here, and a triumphal arch by the Rhône gate, of which the learned L. Munatius Plancus wrote and recorded its founding. For this reason, the city is greatly praised. The people of Lyon say proudly that it derives its name from the Latin word lugo, meaning “light,” and they also claim that Lyon has always been a city of learning and eloquence, as the inscriptions and Roman records show. The city lies nearly in the center of Europe, and therefore has been considered the capital of…