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Franco-Spanish War (1635-59)

Contemporary maps and prints of the major battles and sieges from 1635 to 1658

FRANÇOIS COLLIGNON (C.1610-87)

View of the siege of Orbetello, 1646 (Orbetello, Tuscany, Italy) 42°26ʹ30ʺN 11°13ʹ17ʺE

published 1646

Etching; printed on paper; laid down on paper and then mounted on paper (Mount Type B); gilt edges bottom and right | Scale: 1:5,700 approx. | RCIN 723069

A high oblique view of the Spanish-held fortress town of Orbetello, besieged between 12 May and 24 July by the French, commanded by Thomas Francis of Savoy, Prince of Carignano (21 December 1596-22 January 1656), who were eventually obliged to lift the siege after the arrival of a Spanish relief army commanded by Gerolamo Maria Caracciolo, Marqués de Torrecuso, and Rodrigo Ponce de León, 4th Duke of Arcos. Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659). Oriented with north-west to top.

A different, possibly later, state of this print, distinguished by the insertion of the words ‘Lago o Stagno / di largezzo 3 miglia’ between the inset and the key, and by the partial erasure of Collignon’s name, is preserved in the Civica Raccolta Stampe Achille Bertarelli di Milano (Monaca, 2013, p.244, plate II).

  • François Collignon (c.1610-87) (etcher and publisher) [bottom right:] in Roma apresso francesco Collignon sculsit. incontro à S.te Thomasso / imperione. fatto il 21. Junÿ. 1646. Con licentia de Superiori.

    Subject(s)

    Army-France
    Navy-France
  • Watermark: Map: crown with six-pointed star above in a circle. Backing paper: cross in pear-shaped outline, a cartouche with letters below. Mount: none.

    Condition: some foxing. Verso: offsetting from Italian letterpress text on verso

  • Scale: 1:5,700 approx. Scale bar: Cana Napolitana [37 mm = ].

    29.8 x 34.4 cm (image and sheet)

    cropped (platemark)

    40.1 x 52.3 cm (mount)

  • Printed title:

    IL VERO DISEGNO DI ORBETELLO Laño. 1646 [top centre, in banderole]

    Printed title:

    LA VERA PIANTA DI ORBETELLO CAVATA DAL VERO / Con li Aprocie et anco la carta del paese misurato con / le loro scale. [secondary title, bottom right, in rectangular panel above key]

    Inset:

    [bottom left, in rectangular panel, a small-scale map of the hinterland of Orbetello.] Scale: 1:591,100 approx. Scala di Miliaria 15 [47 mm =]. Size: 10.2 x 13.0 cm (neatline).

    Additional text:

    [bottom right, in rectangular panel below the secondary title, three columns of text and symbols comprising a key, A-I, K-T, V, X-Z to the fortifications batteries etc.]

    Annotations:

    George III heading: Orbitello 1646.

    Other annotations: (Recto) [top right, black pencil, erased:] Orbitello. (Verso) none.

    George III catalogue entry:

    Orbitello La vera Pianta di Orbetello con li Approcie, et anco la Carta del Paese, 1646: apresso F. Collignon, 1646.

  • 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. 3193

Page revisions

  • 25 May 2024