One of the earliest available plans of Paris first issued in 1569 and based on the lost “Premier Plan”. The Premier Plan of Paris was a huge manuscript of the city drawn between 1523-30 and whose author is unknown.

According to contemporary descriptions, it was approximately five by four meters and served as the source map for all sixteenth century plans of the city. Indeed, many 17th century map makers, such as Matthaus Merian also used the plan as a model.

As Munster first issued his plan of Paris in the 1569 edition of the “Cosmographia”, it has become one of the earliest commercially available plan of the city. It bears elaborate classical borders reminiscent of an earlier publication by Antoine du Pinet first published in 1564.

This example is from the 1572 edition of the “Cosmographia”. [FR3675]