This website presents our knowledge and research on this important aspect of the Royal Collection. As of April 2026 it will not be regularly updated and new research on this topic will sit within the main website.

Thirty Years War (1618-48)

Maps, prints and letterpress text covering the major battles and sieges of the war

NICHOLAS BEREY I (C.1610-65)

Map of the siege of Thionville, 1643 (Thionville, Lorraine, France) 49°22ʹ00ʺN 06°10ʹ00ʺE

published 1644

Letterpress text on six pieces of paper, mounted to give three columns of text each of two pieces of text pasted together; the three columns mounted together on one sheet of paper (Mount Type B); gilt edges top and right | 42.8 x 11.8 cm (sheet of left column) | RCIN 723029.b

Letterpress text accompanying the map of Thionville, 1643 at RCIN 723029.a. Thirty Years War (1618-1648).

A different, probably earlier, state of this text, with a decorative border, is Rijksmuseum RP-P-OB-81.526B, C, D, E. While the setting of the text is the same, the imprint differs: A PARIS, / Chez NICOLAS BEREY, au bout du Pont-neuf, / proche les Augustins, aux deux Globes. / M. DC. XLIV. / AVEC PRIVILEGE DV ROY.

  • Nicholas Berey I (c.1610-65) (print seller and publisher)

    Antoine de Fer (16??-1673) (publisher and print seller) [at end of text:] A PARIS, / Chez NICOLAS DE BERAY, au bout du Pont- / neuf, proche les Augustins, aux deux Globes. / Et ANTOINE DE FER, en l’Isle du Palais, au bout / du Pont de Bois, à l’Age de Fer. / M. DC. XLIV.

    Subject(s)

    Army-France
  • Watermark: Text: cropped. Mount: none.

    Condition: one fold line; creased; heavy brown discolouration; pressure marks

  • 42.8 x 11.8 cm (sheet of left column)

    35.6 x 11.5 cm (sheet of central column)

    36.3 x 11.6 cm (sheet of right column)

    52.0 x 39.2 cm (mount)

  • Printed title:

    PLAN / DE LA VILLE / DE / THEONVILLE / AV DVCHÉ DE / LVXEMBOVRG. / ASSIEGEE PAR / L’ARMEE DE SA MAIESTÉ / TRES-CHRESTIENNE / LOVIS XIIII / ROY DE FRANCE / ET DE NAVARRE / COMMANDEE PAR MONSEI- / gneur le Duc d’Anguien, Pair de France, / General de l’Armée de sa Majesté / en Picardie.

    Annotations:

    George III heading: Thionville 17 June – 10 August 1643.

    Other annotations: (Recto) [top left, black pencil, erased:] Thionville. (Verso) [right column, i.e. left column on recto, ink: two vertical strokes.]

    George III catalogue entry:

    Thionville Plan de la Ville de Theonville assiegée par l’Armée du Roy Louis XIV commandée par le Duc d’Enguien le 17 de Juin, et rendue le 10 d’Aout 1643: par le S.r de Beaulieu, gravé par Collignon: avec une Description: chez Beray, 1644.

  • Subject(s)

    Thionville, Lorraine, France (49°22ʹ00ʺN 06°10ʹ00ʺE)

  • 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. 3122-3124

Page revisions

  • 5 June 2024