Map of the siege of Messina, 1718 (Messina, Sicily, Italy) 38°11ʹ36ʺN 15°32ʹ59ʺE

A map of the siege of Messina (18 July-15 October 1718), taken by the Spanish army, commanded by Jean François de Bette, Marquis of Lede (1672-1725). War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-20). Oriented with north-north-west to top (cardinal points).

Shows the fortifications and layout, in schematic form, of the town of Messina, together with the Spanish batteries and siege works. The allocation, in the later annotations on this map, of the date of 1719, suggests that the annotator may have assumed that the details of the map referred to the siege in 1719 by the Austrian army.

This plan has been removed from a volume, made about 1719 or later, of manuscript maps and plans of sieges. Other maps, perhaps in a different hand but, apparently from the same volume, are scattered throughout the collection: RCINs [724061], [724090], 725007, 725009, 725011, 725013, 725021, 725023, 725027, 725030, 725032, 725041, [725044], 725045, 725047, [725055], 725074, 725087, 725098, 726007, 726014, 726022, 726041, 726045, 726053, 726065, 726073, 726080, 726086, 726090, 727004, 727007, 727013, 727014.

Additional text: [top, below title, in title panel, a key, 1-48, to the citadel, bastions, ravelins, batteries, etc.:] Explication.

Condition: no fold lines. Verso: some induced discolouration.