Antique Maps by Francois de Belleforest (*1530 - †1583)

François de Belleforest was a French writer, translator and poet during the Renaissance. In 1568 he became historian of King Henry III, but had to give up soon because of inaccuracies. He worked as a writer and translator and transferred the Cosmography of Sebastian Munster into French. La Cosmographie universelle de tout le monde was published 1575 in Paris and was created in collaboration with the two Parisian publishers Nicolas Chesneau and Michel Sonnius. He has not used Sebastian Munster as sole source, several maps and views are based on Ortelius and Braun / Hogenberg, but also own work and unknown sources are found in the important work.

The picture shows the bust of Belleforest in Samatan (Gers, France). Source: Wikipedia, BastienM.

Francois de Belleforest: Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville de Perigueux
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Périgueux, Aquitaine. Ruled in brown ink. Decorated with a large coat-of-arms of the city. An extensive key to the bottom describing the main buildings and places....
Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville de Perigueux
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11652
Antique woodcut town view of Perigueux, Aquitaine. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Description du pays d'Auvergne
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and beautiful circular woodcut map of the Auvergne in central France. With west on top, it shows the river system of the Allier with Clermont-Ferrand in the background. The woodcut is based...
Description du pays d'Auvergne
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11653
Antique woodcut map of the Auvergne. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: La Ville et Cité de Clermot en Auvergne / La Ville et Cite de Clermont
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Clermont-Ferrand located in the Auvergne. Ruled in brown ink. Decorated with a title cartouche and two coat-of-arms of the city. Extremely fine cut for a woodcut...
La Ville et Cité de Clermot en Auvergne / La Ville et Cite de Clermont
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11654
Antique woodcut town view of Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Le vray Pourtraict de la ville de Mets
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Metz at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille in Lorraine. Ruled in brown ink. Decorated with a beautiful cartouche with coat-of-arms of the city. Extremely...
Le vray Pourtraict de la ville de Mets
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11656
Antique woodcut town view of Metz, Lorraine. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville de Diion
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare, large woodcut view of the city of Dijon in the Bourgogne. Ruled in brown ink. Decorated with a title cartouche, a cartouche containing the key and a coat-of-arms of the city. Extremely fine...
Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville de Diion
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11657
Antique woodcut town view of Dijon, Bourgogne. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville de Beaulne
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare, large woodcut view of the city of Beaune in the Bourgogne. Ruled in brown ink. An extensive key to the left describing the main buildings and places. Extremely fine cut for a woodcut view....
Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville de Beaulne
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11658
Antique woodcut town view of Beaune, Bourgogne. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville de Semur / La Ville Semur en Laussois
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Semur-en-Auxois in the Bourgogne. Ruled in brown ink. Decorated a coat-of-arms and a title cartouche. Framed by a beautiful renaissance woodcut border. Extremely...
Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville de Semur / La Ville Semur en Laussois
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11659
Antique woodcut town view of Semur-en-Auxois, Bourgogne. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: La Ville de Chalon sur Saone / Le vray Pourtraict de la ville de Chalon
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Chalon-sur-Saône in the Bourgogne. Ruled in brown ink. Decorated with a beautiful title cartouche. Extremely fine cut for a woodcut view. An extensive key to the...
La Ville de Chalon sur Saone / Le vray Pourtraict de la ville de Chalon
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11660
Antique woodcut town view of Chalon-sur-Saone, Bourgogne. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Pourtraict de la ville de Mascon
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Mâcon at the river Saône in the Burgundy (Bourgogne). Ruled in brown ink. Decorated with many ships on the Saône. Extremely fine cut for a woodcut view. An...
Pourtraict de la ville de Mascon
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11661
Antique woodcut town view of Macon, Bourgogne. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Pourtraict de la ville,& ancienne Cité de Lyon
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Ruled in brown ink. Decorated with a coat-of-arms and framed by a beautiful renaissance woodcut border. A key to the bottom...
Pourtraict de la ville,& ancienne Cité de Lyon
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11662
Antique woodcut town view of Lyon, Lyonnais. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Le grand plant & vray pourtraict de la Baulme
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Sainte-Baume, a pilgrimage site in a cave on a hill by Marseille (La grotte de Marie-Madeleine). Ruled in brown ink.This woodcut was published in La...
Le grand plant & vray pourtraict de la Baulme
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11668
Antique woodcut town view of Sainte-Baume, Provence. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville d'Aix en Provence
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Aix-en-Provence. Shown are a lot of details, including a place of execution on a hill. To the left a key describing the main buildings and places. Ruled in brown...
Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville d'Aix en Provence
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11669
Antique woodcut town view of Aix-en-Provence, Provence. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville d'Avignon
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of Avignon in the Provence. Decorated with coat-of-arms of the city. To the right a key describing the main buildings and places. Ruled in brown ink. Extremely fine...
Le vray Pourtraict de la Ville d'Avignon
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11670
Antique woodcut town view of Avignon, Provence. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: L'Amphiteatre, dict les Arenes
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of the Arènes de Nîmes . With Romulus and Remus , a bull and gladiators during a fight. Ruled in brown ink.This woodcut was published in La Cosmographie...
L'Amphiteatre, dict les Arenes
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11672
Antique woodcut town view of Arena of Nimes, Nimes, Languedoc. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Figure du pont du Gard
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A rare and early woodcut view of the Pont du Gard , an ancient Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River in close to Nîmes. Ruled in brown ink.This woodcut was published in La...
Figure du pont du Gard
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11673
Antique woodcut town view of Pont du Gard, Nimes, Languedoc. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Cairus, Quae Olim Babylon Aegypt Maxima Urbs / Le Grand Caire
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A large and rare woodcut view of Cairo with the Nile river, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza. Based on a engraving from Braun and Hogenberg's Civitates orbis terrarum .This woodcut was...
Cairus, Quae Olim Babylon Aegypt Maxima Urbs / Le Grand Caire
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11678
Antique woodcut town view of Cairo. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Description Generale de Toute la France
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
A large and rare woodcut map of France with parts of Switzerland. Based on Ortelius' first map of France from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum , but much rarer than the Ortelius map. Extremely fine cut for...
Description Generale de Toute la France
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11679
Antique woodcut map of France. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: La Ville, Cité, Université,& Faux-bourgs de Paris
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
One of the most accurate 16th Century plans of Paris available for collectors.A large and scarce woodcut plan of Paris. Extremely fine cut for a woodcut map. Ruled in brown ink.The...
La Ville, Cité, Université,& Faux-bourgs de Paris
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11680
Antique woodcut city plan of Paris. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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Francois de Belleforest: Africae Tabula Nova
Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius, Paris, 1575
Ortelius' Africa Map as a Woodcut. Rare.A large and scarce woodcut map of Africa by Francois de Belleforest. Based on Ortelius' map of Africa from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum , but much rarer...
Africae Tabula Nova
1575 - Francois de Belleforest
11745
Antique woodcut map of the African continent. Printed in Paris by Nicolas Chesneau, Michel Sonnius in 1575.
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