Polna vulgo Polm insign: Bohemiae civitas Regnum a Moravia dividens.

RARE, only included in part VI of his town book. Panoramic town-view of Polna in Bohemia by G. Hoefnagel and son, 1617. Key to six locations.

CARTOUCHE TOP: Polna, in the vernacular Polm, the eminent town in Bohemia, divides the kingdom from Moravia.

CARTOUCHE BOTTOM RIGHT: Procured by Georg Hoefnagel, painted by his son. In the year 1617.

COMMENTARY BY BRAUN (on verso): "This town lies right on the border between Bohemia and Moravia, such that the town belongs to Moravia but the castle to Bohemia. Both are handsomely built and are in pleasant locations, especially the castle, which in the direction of Prague has fine ponds full of fish. This land not only has all kinds of fruits and pastures but also birds and game and wildfowl. But since we have at present no other information about this town, and, as we have said, it lies on the border between Bohemia and Moravia, we will here give a brief account of how these two territories came together."

This is a view of Polna from the southwest looking across the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands from a slightly elevated viewpoint. In addition to the parish church (D) in the center, this view is dominated by the castle (F) beside the river Slapanka. Polna was founded in the first half of the 13th century and was granted a municipal charter in 1479. The trade route from Prague to Vienna passed through here; the town's importance increased with the construction of the castle in the mid-13th century. In the 15th/16th centuries, the town flourished, largely due to the cloth trade. During this period the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. After a fire in 1794, it stood empty until it was restored in the 20th century; today it is used as a hotel.

Braun G. & Hogenberg F. and the Civitates Orbis Terrarum.

The Civitates Orbis Terrarum, or the "Braun & Hogenberg", is a six-volume town atlas and the greatest book of town views and plans ever published: 363 engravings, sometimes beautifully colored. It was one of the best-selling works in the last quarter of the 16th century. Georg Braun wrote the text accompanying the plans and views on the verso. A large number of the plates were engraved after the original drawings of Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600), who was a professional artist. The first volume was published in Latin in 1572, the sixth volume in 1617. Frans Hogenberg created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel created those for volumes V and VI. Other contributors were cartographer Daniel Freese, and Heinrich Rantzau. Works by Jacob van Deventer, Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used. Translations appeared in German and French.

Reference: Van der Krogt 4, 3433; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.465.