Boulogne, 1549

BOLOGNA IN FRANCIA

A middle oblique view of the French assault on English-held Boulogne, resulting in the withdrawal from the town by Henry VIII’s forces in 1550. English wars with France and Scotland (1542-1550). Oriented with north-east to top.

Boulogne had been captured by Henry VIII in 1544; he then spent £1,300,000 of the proceeds of the dissolution of the monasteries in fortifying the town. This view shows, left, the old Roman 100ft-high tower (known as the ‘Old Man’), flying the English standard, which had been fortified by Henry to guard the maritime approach to the town while, to the right of the tower, is a new fort which was, according to this print, called ‘paradise’ by the English but which appears actually to have been called the ‘Young Man’. The purpose of this new fort was to provide secure communications between the Old Man and the Low Town, ‘La Bassa Bologna’, which was fortified by walls and a citadel which guarded the banks of the River Liane. These fortifications were also strengthened by Henry VIII. The new French fortifications, on the hills on the south of the river Liane, were begun in 1545 and are seen here marked as ‘Fortezza de Fransesi’ and ‘Ardelot’ (Fort de Châtillon and Fort d’Outreau). The fortification shown in the background, top right, may be Boulemberg (now Mont Lambert), built as an additional outpost by the English in 1546.

The English tenancy of Boulogne is signalled by the standards which bear Henry’s coat of arms while the French forces and forts are identified by the fleur-de-lys. The French infantry are mustered in the pike squares, typical of the period. The length of the pikes (anything from twelve to eighteen feet, or 3.6-5.5 metres long) compared with the size of the man, is well demonstrated in this view.

What appears to be the original issue of this print, undated and without van Schoel’s imprint, or any author statement, is listed as number 140 in Tooley (1939). It was commonly included in Lafreri-type atlases but was presumably more rare in circulation at the time that Cassiano dal Pozzo was collecting – nearly a 100 years later, hence the presence of the later reprint, rather than the original in this collection.