Bressia Vulgo Bresse
Cartographer / Artist: Willem Janszoon Blaeu
Date Created: c. 1635
Medium: Hand-colored copperplate engraving
Physical Dimensions: 19.1 × 19.2 inches
Geographic Scope: Bresse, France
Archive Catalog ID: fp8-img-2175
Provenance: The Dr. Joseph R. Rubini Archive
Collection: 17th–19th Century French & Iberian Surveys
This finely executed seventeenth-century map depicts the historical province of Bresse in eastern France, published in Amsterdam by Willem Janszoon Blaeu. Orientated with North to the top, the map covers the region bounded by the Saône River to the west, Lake Geneva (Lacus Lemanus) and the Duchy of Savoy to the east, and the Lyonnais region to the south. Major regional centers including Bourg-en-Bresse, Geneva, and Belleville are detailed alongside topographical features such as the Jura mountain chain, forested tracts, and major lakes including Lac du Bourget. The map is embellished with classic Dutch Golden Age cartographic detail. The lower right corner features an ornate title cartouche framed by allegorical female figures bearing crops, symbolizing the agrarian abundance of the province. At the bottom center, putti and surveyors with sighting tools measure a distance scale labeled Milliaria Gallica communia, showcasing the intellectual and artistic sophistication characteristic of the Blaeu firm.
Condition: Light, even age-toning across the sheet with slight mounting remnants on the reverse edges.. Fine, vivid period hand-coloring highlighting regional boundaries, waterways, and decorative cartouches.. Strong impression on sturdy laid paper with ample margins.




