Franco-Spanish War (1635-59)
Contemporary maps and prints of the major battles and sieges from 1635 to 1658
Battle of Orbetello, 1646
LA RIVIERA O COSTA DI MARE DELLO / STATO DI SIENA OVERO MARE TOSCANA
published 1646Etching and engraving; printed on paper; laid down on paper and then mounted on paper (Mount Type B); gilt edges left and top | Scale: 1:578,800 approx. | RCIN 723070
A high oblique view of the naval Battle of Orbetello which was fought on 14 June 1646 between a French fleet, commanded by Admiral Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé, Marquis de Brézé (18 October 1619-14 June 1646), and Spanish ships, sent to try to break the siege of Orbetello (see 723063-723069) and relieve the town, commanded by Miguel de Noronha, 4th Count of Linhares (1585-1647). Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659). Oriented with north to top (compass directions written to the centre of each edge).
The print covers the coastline of Italy from Livorno (43°32ʹ39ʺN 10°19ʹ34ʺE) in the north to Cornetto (?Tarquinia (42°15ʹ15ʺN 11°45ʹ24ʺE) in the south. There is no key to the letters ‘a’ and ‘b’ which appear beside the ships but it would appear that ‘a’ refers to French ships and ‘b’ to the Spanish ships.
A different state, which is preserved in the National Library of Malta (Monaco, p.241, Plate I) is distinguished by the word ‘MARE’, which is engraved in the sea area west of Piombino, and ‘TYRRENO’, which is engraved either side of a ship inside the bottom neatline. The Malta example also has additional details such as several more place-names, for example, ‘Aqua pendente’ and ‘Bolsena’, together with the settllement symbols to the north-west and north, respectively, of ‘Lago di Bolsena’, top right.
François Collignon (c.1610-87) (engraver and publisher) [top right, below title, in title panel:] Apresso francesco Collignon sculpsit Romæ incontro à S.to Thomasso imperione il 25. / Gunij. 1646. [long space] con licentia de superiori
Watermark: Map: indistinct device in circle. Backing paper: cross in pear-shaped outline, the letters B D below. Mount: none.
Condition: one fold line; brown discolouration from paste
Scale: 1:578,800 approx. Scale bar: Scala di migliaria 15 [48 mm =].
30.0 x 35.2 cm (image and sheet)
cropped (platemark)
38.8 x 50.8 cm (mount)
Printed title:
LA RIVIERA O COSTA DI MARE DELLO / STATO DI SIENA OVERO MARE TOSCANA. [top right, in rectangular panel]
Annotations:
George III heading: Naval Engagement between the French and Spaniards off Orbitello on the 14.th of June 1646.
Other annotations: (Recto) [along left margin, black pencil, erased: the old heading]; [top left, black pencil:] 1646; [along bottom right margin, black pencil, erased, most illegible: different text to old heading.] (Verso) none.
George III catalogue entry:
Orbitello A View of the Naval Engagement between the French and Spaniards off Orbitello on the 14.th of June 1646: by F. Collignon, 1646. [The same entry appears under the heading Naval Engagement]
Subject(s)
Orbetello, Tuscany, Italy (42°26ʹ30ʺN 11°13ʹ17ʺE)
Bibliographic reference(s)
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 3194
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
