1634 Joan Blaeu Large Antique Map of Europe under Charlemagne I, 8th Century

As this is a large folding map, the folds, sometime in the past, have been re-enforced and refolded. A large four sheet historical map showing the empire of Charlemagne, aka Carolus Magnus, aka Charles the Great. Charlemagne ruled in the 8th century and is regarded as the founding father of both France and Germany. Blaeu credits Petrus Bertius for the cartography.

Margins: - Bottom left corner margins lost Plate area: - Folds as issued, bottom 4in x 2in section missing. Light soiling Verso: - Folds re-enforced on verso. Background: Charlemagne 742 - 814, numbered Charles I, was king of the Franks from 768, king of the Lombards from 774, and emperor of the Romans from 800. He united much of western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages.

He was the first recognised emperor to rule from western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier. The expanded Frankish state that Charlemagne founded is called the Carolingian Empire. He was later canonized by Antipope Paschal III. Charlemagne was the eldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon, born before their canonical marriage.

He became king in 768 following his fathers death, initially as co-ruler with his brother Carloman I. Carlomans sudden death in December 771 under unexplained circumstances left Charlemagne as the sole ruler of the Frankish Kingdom. He continued his fathers policy towards the papacy and became its protector, removing the Lombards from power in northern Italy and leading an incursion into Muslim Spain.

He campaigned against the Saxons to his east, Christianizing them upon penalty of death and leading to events such as the Massacre of Verden. He reached the height of his power in 800 when he was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day at Romes Old St. Charlemagne has been called the Father of Europe (Pater Europae), as he united most of Western Europe for the first time since the classical era of the Roman Empire and united parts of Europe that had never been under Frankish or Roman rule. His rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of energetic cultural and intellectual activity within the Western Church. Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire considered themselves successors of Charlemagne, as did the French and German monarchs.

He married at least four times and had three legitimate sons, but only his son Louis the Pious survived to succeed him. At this propitious time in the history of the Northern Provinces, Willem Janszoon Blaeu, who was born at Alkmaar in 1571 and trained in astronomy and the sciences by Tycho Brahe, the celebrated Danish astronomer, founded a business in Amsterdam in 1599 as a globe and instrument maker.

After the death of Cornelis, Joan directed the work alone and the whole series of 6 volumes was eventually completed about 1655. As soon as it was finished he began the preparation of the even larger work, the Atlas Major, which reached publication in 1662 in II volumes (later editions in 9-12 volumes) and contained nearly 6oo double-page maps and 3,000 pages of text. This was, and indeed remains, the most magnificent work of its kind ever produced; perhaps its geographical content was not as up-to-date or as accurate as its author could have wished, but any deficiencies in that direction were more than compensated for by the fine engraving and colouring, the elaborate cartouches and pictorial and heraldic detail and especially the splendid calligraphy. In 1672 a disastrous fire destroyed Blaeu\\\'s printing house in the Gravenstraat and a year afterwards Joan Blaeu died. The firm\\\'s surviving stocks of plates and maps were gradually dispersed, some of the plates being bought by F.

De Wit and Schenk and Valck, before final closure in about 1695. It ought to be mentioned here that there is often confusion between the elder Blaeu and his rival Jan Jansson (Johannes Janssonius). Up to about 1619 Blaeu often signed his works Guilielmus Janssonius or Willems Jans Zoon but after that time he seems to have decided on Guilielmus or G. Please note all items auctioned are genuine, we do not sell reproductions.

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