Check out this beautiful 16th century map of Z?rich, Switzerland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Murerplan_Zuerich.jpg
I highly recommend clicking on the full size version.
The original headline can be translated into:
Quote"The ancient widely known city Z?rich's design and positioning, as its essense/character is projected and build at this time by Josen Murer, and printed by Christoffel Froschauer in 1576 in honour of the fatherland."
That script they write in messes with my eyes, though :( Hard to tell s's from f's.
Simply stunning. Imagine sitting on a hill spending hours sketching that out, then later making a copy or engraving of it. There are little details that speak of daily life scattered throughout the whole map.
Also: heraldry. EVERYWHERE. It's kind of interesting to see the heraldic crest (or lozenge?) on the far right left blank. Maybe that was for filling in to show which family owned that copy of the map?