Monsiessulanus, Montpellier [on sheet with] Turo, Tours [and] Pictavis, sive Pictavia, Vernaculo Idiomate Poitiers.

Three very desirable and early town-views of Montpellier, Tours and Poitiers.

Montpellier: With key to locations. In his brief description of the city, Braun focuses primarily upon the university founded by Pope Nicholas IV in 1289. He makes no mention, on the other hand, of the church of Notre-Dame-des-Tables, which is recognizable by its tall spire. The church has been a stopping point since the Middle Ages for pilgrims on their way to Santiago di Compostella.

Tours: With key to locations. The abbey of Saint-Martin, which was destroyed in 1562, is here still intact. Unmistakable on the right is the late Gothic cathedral of Saint-Gatien (13th-16th cent.), which was built after the previous Romanesque church burned down and which houses the relics of the first bishop of Tours, Gatianus. Standing on the left, outside the first city wall, is the abbey of Saint-Julien from the 12th/13th centuries.

Poitiers: the town is noteworthy for its university, for the ruins of a large theatre, for ancient monuments, for magnificent ecclesiastical and secular buildings. (Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.60.)

From volume one of the greatest publication in this genre!. The Civitates was compiled and written by George Braun, Canon of Cologne Cathedral. Braun gathered together vast amounts of information and draft plans to produce over 500 city views/maps published in six parts between 1572 and 1617. Most of these engravings were made by Simon Novellanus and Frans Hogenberg, many after drawings by Joris Hoefnagel.
Read more about the Civitates Orbis.

Reference: Koeman (1967-70) B & H 1-5, NMM III, i, 459 (1573-1618 ed.), Introduction', in: G. Braun and F. Hogenberg, Civitates orbis terrarum (Amsterdam: 1965). (2)