Other 17th-century conflicts
Printed and manuscript maps, prints and views of 22 seventeenth-century wars
View of the siege of Vercelli, 1617 (Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy) 45°19ʹ17ʺN 08°25ʹ11ʺE
1617 or laterEtching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type B) | 20.0 x 28.7 cm (image) | RCIN 721138
A middle oblique view of the successful Spanish siege of Savoyard Vercelli from 24 May to 26 July 1617. The Spanish were commanded by Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, 5th Marquis of Villafranca and Governor of Milan (6 September 1546-17 July 1627). Montferrat War of Succession (1613-1630). Oriented with east to top.
See the notes to RCIN 721136.
The surrounding Spanish lines are absent from this print and their place is taken by an encirclement, on the west side of the river, of batteries each of which is named either with its commander or the country of origin of the troops. A fierce fire and counter-fire is depicted but there is no corresponding representation of breached walls or ruined buildings within the town. The Spanish cavalry regiments are standing back from the front line of fire in the vicinity of the small surrounding hamlets and religious buildings. The munitions dump, surrounded by entrenchments, is well out of range of the cannon fire from the town.
Anonymous (cartographer)
Subject(s)
Army-SpainWatermark: None visible
Condition: four fold lines; formerly folded into quite a small size. Verso: surface dirt along folds and outer fold panels; a few brown stains; no gilt edges; some pressure marks
20.0 x 28.7 cm (image)
cropped (platemark)
20.3 x 29.0 cm (sheet)
24.9 x 34.3 cm (mount)
Printed title:
No title. [The name ‘VERCELLI' is engraved above the representation of the town.]
Additional text:
[top right, in a rectangular panel, a key to the church of St Eusebio, the castle and citadel, the lodgings of Toledo and the Cavalry officers etc.:] A-I, L.
Annotations:
George III heading: Vercelli 1617.
Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil, cropped:] [Ver]celli; [bottom, right of centre, red pencil:] 1/119; [bottom, right of centre, black pencil:] I/123.
George III catalogue entry:
Vercelli A small Plan of Vercelli besieged and taken by the Spaniards in 1617.
Subject(s)
Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy (45°19ʹ17ʺN 08°25ʹ11ʺE)
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. 2820
Page revisions
25 May 2024
Current version
