Ratisbona [Regensburg]

Article description

Original hand colored woodcut from the famous "Nurnberg Chronicle", printed in Nürnberg, in July 1493. Fully later hand colored, depicting the city view of Ratisbona (Regensburg) across the river Danube. The double page is also verso illustrated with five beautiful small hand colored woodcut illustrations showing St. Veronica, the philosopher Iudeus, Aggripa Magnus, the philospoher Xenarchus and the Roman nobless Agrippina and further the half page of the city view of Vienna. Latin text edition. This view of Regensburg is one of the earliest obtainable authentic city views, published only a few years before 1500. This plate was exactly published and printed in July, 12th in 1493 in Nurnberg at Anton Koberger. Hartmann Schedel's ,World Chronicle' was the earliest and richest illustrated incunabula and world description at the same time, illustrated with the earliest authentic city views of Europe and Asia Minor, among them were twentyfive double page cityviews including a woodcut map of Europe and its famous world map. Most of these woodcuts were cut by Wilhelm Pleydenwurff. Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, died 1494 in Nuremberg, he cut as joint work with Michael Wolgemut the woodcuts of of Hartmann Schedel's world chronicle. The literature points out, that Albrecht Dürer also spent his apprenticeship in Koberger's workshop. Many of woodcuts from the creation of the world, which appeared in the 'Liber chronicarum' do show in the execution the style of Albrecht Dürer. Depicted is on this woodcut here the view of Ratisbona (Regensburg) from the north across the river Danube. The medival imperial city is shown with the stone bridge, its mighty city walls, the churches and the many towers. Many of these towers were owned by rich trading merchants. Regensburg is a multi-layered city, as shown by the many different names it has worn at all times. The oldest city name, Ratisbona, probably goes back to a Celtic form; in origin, the assumed name ,Ratasobona' means "dwelling place of a Rataso". He stayed throughout late antiquity and the middle ages and reappeared himself in the German-language Imperial Chronicle. The Romans had different names for their Legionkastell on the Danube. Whether they themselves ever called the city Tiburina, after the in the Middle Ages still suspected as founder Emperor Tiberius, who is said to have built the legion camp, is doubtful; Nevertheless, the name appears again and again in ancient manuscripts. Initially, the camp was probably called Legio, which is simply the name for the settlement of a legion. Later Reginum became common, which is derived from the river name Rain; the rain flows towards the point in the Danube, where the Romans had camped. Hence the well-known name Castra Regina, "Camp on the Rain".