1598 Gades ab Occiduis Insulae Partibus. Cadiz from the Western Side of the Island.
DESCRIPTION
This remarkable map depicts the ancient city of Cádiz as seen from the western side of the island. Created by Flemish artist and cartographer Joris (Georg) Hoefnagel, the view was engraved for inclusion in Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg’s monumental work Civitates Orbis Terrarum, or Great Cities of the World, one of the most influential city-view atlases of the sixteenth century.
Ancient Origins and Composition
The image centers on the Chapel of San Sebastián in the foreground, with the city and surrounding coastline forming a detailed panorama behind it. Cádiz, founded by the seafaring Phoenicians in the seventh century BCE, is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the Mediterranean world. Near the numbers fourteen and seventeen on the map, Hoefnagel includes ruins of the city’s ancient past, with seventeen labeled in the legend as Ruinas de Cadiz antiqua. The view thus bridges antiquity and the Renaissance, showing a city both steeped in legend and vibrant with activity.
Scenes of Work and Faith
On the reverse, Braun’s Latin commentary praises the fishermen of Cádiz, describing their inventive method of building circular stone traps to capture fish. In one such enclosure a man is shown seizing a large fish with his hands, while another looks on holding a bag and a third carries a net across the narrow causeway. The surrounding sea is animated with sailing vessels, some anchored and others bound for open waters. Along the shore fishermen cast their lines, while near the chapel a priest extends his arm in welcome to a visitor, possibly a pilgrim drawn to the shrine of San Sebastián.
Artistry and Symbolism
The lower portion of the composition is enclosed within an elaborate strapwork cartouche that conveys both narrative and allegory. To the left, Hoefnagel illustrates the casting of lots to determine service aboard the galleys, while other men are escorted toward ships awaiting departure. Above this episode appears a leopard dog, said to have been brought from the West Indies in 1565. On the right, a fortified bastion bristling with cannonry underscores the city’s defensive strength and strategic position on the Atlantic frontier. Nearby, merchants and townspeople trade goods in a lively scene of local commerce.
At the center of the cartouche stands Hercules, the legendary founder of Cádiz, depicted with heroic vigor as he wrestles two lions, a double echo of the Nemean beast that symbolizes power and endurance. Beneath this mythological centerpiece is a numbered legend identifying key landmarks throughout the view.
Gateway of the Old Continent
Above the title Hoefnagel includes a small image of a Peruvian pika, a creature brought to Europe in 1578, serving as a reminder of Spain’s growing contact with the wider world. The map captures Cádiz at a pivotal moment when it served as a maritime crossroads between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Its harbor functioned as a vital port for explorers, merchants, and soldiers alike, and it became known as the southern gateway to the Old Continent.
From this harbor, Christopher Columbus launched several of his voyages to the New World. Through Hoefnagel’s artistry and Braun’s editorial vision, the map stands as both a celebration of Cádiz’s enduring heritage and a visual testament to Spain’s sixteenth-century global ambitions.
CONDITION
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