Other 17th-century conflicts
Printed and manuscript maps, prints and views of 22 seventeenth-century wars
Siege of Montpellier, 1622
LE PLAN ET SITVATION DE LA VILLE DE MONTPELIER ASSIEGEE PAR SA MAIESTE
1622 or laterEngraved and etched view and letterpress text printed on the same sheet of paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type A); gilt edges top, right and bottom | 27.9 x 34.7 cm (image of map) | RCIN 722009
A view of the siege of the Protestant stronghold of Montpellier, defended by Etienne d’Americ, from July to October 1622, by the Catholic army of Louis XIII of France (27 September 1601-14 May 1643) with no decisive result. Huguenot Rebellions or Rohan Wars (1620-22). Oriented with west to top.
The siege began when Louis XIII disposed his troops around the city in July 1622 and, according to the text below the view, sent a herald to the city on 18 July to command them to open the gates to the king. The Huguenots refused and there began a long siege by seven or eight thousand men of the Catholic army commanded by the Duc de Montmorency and Monsieur de Chastillon. The Prince de Condé arrived on the 23 July to take charge of the siege. The text describes how His Majesty arrived in front of Montpellier with a strong army and sixty pieces of cannon.
This view shows the arrival of Louis XIII (bottom left) and 29 of the cannon can be seen surrounding the east side of the town. To the right of the king is the cavalry regiment of Henri II, 3rd Prince de Condé (1 September 1588-26 December 1646). In the centre foreground, ‘Monsr le Constable’ arrives at Montpellier with his cavalry and infantry. This was François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières (1 April 1543-21 September 1626), who, having been a prominent Huguenot military leader since the 1570s, renounced the Protestant faith in 1622 and was made Constable of France. It was through his efforts in negotiation with Rohan that both sides signed the Treaty of Montpellier on 19 October which brought an end to hostilities and the resumption of the terms of the Edict of Nantes (30 april 1598).
This print appears to have been made by the same maker of RCIN 722010.
Anonymous (engraver)
Nicholas Martin (active 1622) (publisher) [bottom right of letterpress text:] Imprimé à Reims chez Nicolas Martin.
Watermark: None visible
Condition: one fold line, three crease lines; considerable brown discolouration; brown spots. One fold/crease line to mount, which does not coincide with any fold lines on the print; 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
27.9 x 34.7 cm (image of map)
cropped (platemark of map and whole sheet)
44.1 x 34.6 cm (image and sheet)
54.8 x 41.3 cm (mount)
Printed title:
LE PLAN ET SITVATION DE LA VILLE DE MONTPELIER ASSIEGEE PAR SA MAIESTE [across top of map]
Additional text:
[top left, in cartouche, a key, A-I, K-T, V, X-Z, aa-ff.. Letterpress text, below map, begins:] Av mois de Mars dernier, 1622, le Roy partit de Paris, pour aller en Guienne …
Annotations:
George III heading: Montpellier 1622.
Other annotations: (Recto) [top right, black pencil:] 1622; [left margin of mount, level with lines 2-3 of text, black pencil: an asterisk]. (Verso) [left, across mount and map, red pencil:] 1/135 [and, black pencil:] I/139 [the 9 changed from a 8]; [bottom left, black pencil:] I/139.
George III catalogue entry:
Montpellier Le Plan et Situation de la Ville de Montpelier assiegée par le Roy Louis XIII en 1622: avec une Description, chez N. Martin.
Subject(s)
Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France (43°36ʹ39ʺN 03°52ʹ38ʺE)
Bibliographic reference(s)
W.S. Browning, A history of the Huguenots from 1598 to 1838, London 1839, pp.120-121
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 2844
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
