Exigua & celeberrima Verruca [.]

Bella veduta della fortezza di Verrua Savoia, tratta dal famoso atlante di città di Schenk, denominato Hecatompolis, stampato ad Amsterdam nel 1702. Durante la Guerra dei Trent’anni, che vede i Savoia alleati ai francesi contro spagnoli e austriaci, la fortezza di Verrua sostiene un grande assedio nel 1625. Agli inizi di agosto, il duca di Feria, governatore di Milano, e il capitano don Ponzalo de Cordoba giungono forti di 25.000 fanti, 5.000 cavalieri e 20 cannoni. A dispetto dei tre giorni che il duca reputa sufficienti per risolvere l’assedio, l’esercito imperiale attacca per tre mesi bombardando quotidianamente. Il 17 novembre avviene la ritirata con un numero di vittime vicino ai 10.000 uomini. A seguito della valorosa resistenza, Verrua si guadagna la fama di “Exigua et celeberrima”. ' Incisione su rame, in ottimo stato di conservazione. This is a rare view from Schenk's important town atlas, called Hecatompolis, sive Totius orbis Terrarum Oppida Nobiliora Centum; exquisite collecta atque eleganter depicta. The view recognizes as a source the contemporary French production (Aveline, Chereau le Jeune, Carel Allard) which in turn is based on the prototype of Braun and Hogenberg; however, it is personalized by an effective and accurate graphic rendering, attributable to the expert hand of an engraver of Peter Schenk's workshop. Below, the title is in Dutch and Latin and you can read also the name of the publisher. The exemplar has produced numerous subsidiaries throughout the eighteenth century and beyond, so it can also be considered a prototype. Peter Schenk (Elberfeld 1645 - 1715), a well-known Dutch engraver and publisher, was a pupil of Gerard Valck in Amsterdam, married his daughter and together with him bought many slabs of the Blaeu company in 1683. He produced various atlases and collections of plants and city views, for which he engraved many new maps: at the beginning of the eighteenth century he was appointed court engraver by Augustus of Saxony, he produced many portraits of famous people, many engravings from his printing house, which in the meantime had expanded considerably and housed the best engravers of the time, bear his signature only as a publisher. At his death the activity was continued by his son Peter, called the Younger. ' Copperplate, good condition. Cfr.