Other 17th-century conflicts
Printed and manuscript maps, prints and views of 22 seventeenth-century wars
Siege of Besançon, 1674
VERO DISEGNO DELLA CITTA DI BESANSON
published 1674Etching with engraving; printed on paper; reverse window-mounted (Mount Type B) on paper; no gilt edges | Scale: not stated. Not to scale. | RCIN 724009
A map of the siege from 19 April to 22 May 1674 of the Spanish-held town of Besançon by the French, commanded by Louis XIV (1638-1715) and Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707). Franco-Dutch War (1672-8). Oriented with east-south-east to top (cardinal points).
This map view is taken looking south-east over Besançon, with the French batteries placed on Monte Brigillæ (hauteur de Brégille) to the left (east-south-east), and Collis Dianæ (hauteur de Chaudanne) to the right (south) which are firing on the citadel which is constructed on Monte Celio (Mont Saint-Etienne). The river Doux (Doubs) meanders around the town and a large vineyard lies between a battery and a cemetery to the right (west). The siege proper began on 25 April; the fire from the batteries on the adjacent hills proved too powerful for the Besançon garrison to resist and the town capitulated on the 22 May.
François Collignon (c.1610-87) (publisher) [bottom left, inside neatline:] Si Stampa da fran.co Collignon nel Parione con licenza; [bottom right, inside neatline:] Roma il primo di Giugno 1674.
Watermark: Map: crossed swords in oval surmounted by cardinal’s hat, above the letters V C. Mount: None.
Condition: creased; pressure marks can be seen on both sides from the mounts of items which were kept above and below this map in a former collection
Scale: not stated. Not to scale.
30.3 x 21.7 cm (image and neatline)
cropped (platemark)
30.6 x 22.1 cm (sheet)
40.8 x 32.0 cm (mount)
Printed title:
VERO DISEGNO DELLA CITTA DI BESANSON [top, in a banner]
Additional text:
[bottom left, a key, A-I, K-O, to the town, citadel and gates of Besançon, and to the hill of Diana, river and mills, the palace, and the mortar and cannon batteries.]
Annotations:
George III heading: Besançon 15 May 1674.
Other annotations: (Recto) [top left, on mount, black pencil:] Besancon.; [top centre, on mount, black pencil, erased:] May 15; [bottom left, on mount, black pencil, erased: the old heading]. (Verso) none.
George III catalogue entry:
Besançon. Vera Disegno della Citta di Besanson, assediata dal Ré Ludovico XIV, e presa li 15 Maggio 1674; da F. Collignon, 1674.
Subject(s)
Besançon, Franche-Comté, France (47°14ʹ55ʺN 06°01ʹ05ʺE)
Bibliographic reference(s)
Mark McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 3262
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
