Flandria illustrata, sive Descriptio comitatus istius per totum terrarum orbem celeberrimi, III tomis absoluta [...].

2 vol., large folio: [24]-403-[4], [14 (of 18)]-405/654-[2]-68-38-[3] pp.; 2 pl., mounted on mod. guards (half title missing and f. 5*2 bound twice in vol. 1, 2 ff. of introduction missing in vol. 2, pl. of Dunkirk missing; cancel on text f. Aa2 and map of Ypres pasted in vol. 1, marg. dampst. in introduction, with edges in 1st part starting to fray (partly restored) in vol. 2, some toning and spotting throughout).

Contemp. vellum, covers with double gilt-ruled border and elaborated central gilt ornament, gilt-orn. flat spines, gilt edges (sl. soiled with some sm. stains, corners bumped, sm. hole in spine of vol. 1, traces of green closing ties in vol. 2).

First edition with a run of 500 copies of the most famous chorographic work on the former county of Flanders with descriptions of its main towns and villages, in addition to a description of its counts and bishops. Beautiful full-page or in text engraved illustrations: 2 titles, 35 double-page maps, views and plans, full-page portrait of François de Mello, 66 half- or quarter-page portraits in text, more than 200 plans and views in text, all covering Ghent, Bruges, Ypres, Courtrai, Cassel, Veurne, Aalst, Geraardsbergen, Ninove, Waasland, Bailleul, Bergues, Bourbourg, etc. Our edition comprises the plates "Ecclesia collegiata divi Pharahildis, comus praetoria castellaniae Auderburgensis et Petra Comitis vulgo het Graven Casteel" (p. 100), "Aula principis Gandavi" (p. 147), "Palatium principis in ure Brugensis" (p. 188), "Praetorium Dni Baronis de Wingene" (p. 432) which are all no longer present in the 2nd ed., and the later added plate "Cast. D. Caroli Rijm" (p. 170). Given all this, we have an early copy. With 2 (of 3) pl. outside collation: "Curia antiqua [- nova] Gandavensis" (pp. 96-97) and "Ekelsbeke/Esquelbecq" (p. 572). Although Sanderus intended to make the Protestant Henricus Hondius publish his work, it was eventually the brothers Blaeu who published the first edition. In order to bypass censorship by the Catholic church, it was already decided to publish the edition under the false address of a Catholic publisher from Cologne. Enriched with the plate "Prospectus castelli de Nokere [...]" that only appeared in the 2nd ed.
Ref. BB V: 28-35.
Prov. Unidentified arm. bookpl.