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View of Chateau de Charbonnières, 1598 (Aiguebelle, Savoie, France) 45°32ʹ18ʺN 06°18ʹ38ʺE
1598 or laterEtching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type A); gilt edges top, bottom and right | 42.4 x 29.3 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 721089
A medium/high oblique view of the re-taking from the Huguenot French forces of the fortress of Charbonnière by the Duke of Savoy in March 1598. French invasion of the Savoyard States (1597-8). Oriented with south to top.
This view looks south-east from Aiguebelle along the valley of the River Arc, passing through the villages and towns of Argentina (Argentine 45°29ʹ45ʺN 06°18ʹ53ʺE), Epierres (Épierre 45°27ʹ05ʺN 06°17ʹ38ʺE), La Cianbra (La Chambre 45°21ʹ31ʺN 06°18ʹ09ʺE), Guines (Sainte-Marie/Saint-Étienne-de-Cuines 45°20ʹ08ʺN 06°18ʹ16ʺE), S. giovanni Di moriane (Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne 45°17ʹ00ʺN 06°21ʹ00ʺE), Vilar (probably Villargondran 45°16ʹ16ʺN 06°22ʹ10ʺE) to S. michele (Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne 45°13ʹ06ʺN 06°28ʹ21ʺE) in the very south.
The citadel of 'La Ciarboniera' stands on an eminence directly south of the town of Aiguebelle; it had previously been taken from the Duke of Savoy, who had catholic French sympathies, by the forces of the protestant Henry IV of France. The fortress of Charbonnières was the key to the Savoyard province of La Maurienne (the 'Moriana' of the title of this view) and, in the depth of the winter snows in February and March 1598, Charles Emmanuel I (1562-1630) Duke of Savoy, retook the fort from the Huguenot Charles de Blanchefort de Canaples (1578-1638), Marquis de Créquy – the 'monu.r de Crichi' named in this view which shows the actions taking place between 7 and 12 March.
The Duke of Savoy was known as an intellectual, and as a poet and artist which perhaps explains the reference to him in the title of this view as 'principe de poesi'. The batteries of the Duke of Savoy's ally, Don Giovanni di Mendoza, who commanded the Spanish and Lombardy troops, can be seen on the high ground overlooking the fortress to the west (right); he had been part of the vanguard of Savoy's forces which was formed of ten cavalry companies and the Savoyard and Piedmontese infantry. D'Albignì, also an ally of Savoy, had positioned his battery to the north of the fortress (marked 'C' on this view).
Anonymous (cartographer) [top left, at bottom of cartouche:] Con Priuileggio et licenza del eccel.mo Conseglio.
Subject(s)
Army-SpainCarlo Emanuele I, Duke of Savoy (1562-1630)Watermark: None visible
Condition: five fold lines; central crease, or fold line, to mount, not coincident with print fold lines; edges brown and dirty; surface dirt on verso, particularly along the outer fold lines; pressure marks from the mounts of items which were kept above and below this map/print in a different collection are present on the recto and verso
42.4 x 29.3 cm (image and sheet)
54.8 x 40.9 cm (mount)
Printed title:
Vero disegno del forte della ciarboniera / et altri forti nella prouincia della Mo / :riana tenuti per il S.re de Dighieres dal / principe de poesi suo genero. e spugnati / dal Ser.mo Duca di Sauoia dalli 7. di / marso per tutto li 12 ditto lanno 1598. [top left, in ornamental cartouche]
Additional text:
[top left, below title in title cartouche, a key, A-G, M, I, to the positions of the Duke of Savoy's troops and those of the protestant opposition.]
Annotations:
George III heading: Charboniere 1598.
Other annotations: (Recto) [top right, black pencil:] 1598; [bottom centre, on mount, black pencil, erased and very faint: [?] 1598. (Verso) [right, on map, red pencil:] 1/81; [bottom left, on mount, black pencil, erased:] I/[?]5 [top left, on mount, black pencil, erased:] Charboniere.
George III catalogue entry:
Charboniere Disegno del Forte della Ciarboniera et altri Forti nella Provincia della Moriana, espugnati dal Duca di Savoia dalli 7 di Marso per tutto li 12 ditto 1598.
Subject(s)
Aiguebelle, Savoie, France (45°32ʹ18ʺN 06°18ʹ38ʺE)
Bibliographic reference(s)
S. Leathes et al (eds), The Cambridge Modern History, vol. 11, 1976, pp. 413-14
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 2734
Monumenta Historiae Patriae edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti. Scriptorum, Libro Sesto, Augustae Tavrinorum, 1840, pp. 1368-9
Page revisions
25 May 2024
Current version
