Thirty Years War (1618-48)
Maps, prints and letterpress text covering the major battles and sieges of the war
View of the siege of Verrua, 1625 (Rocca, [Verrua Savoia district], Piedmont, Italy) 45°10ʹ28ʺN 08°05ʹ56ʺE
1625 or laterEtching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type A); gilt edges top, right and bottom | 37.1 x 50.2 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 722016.b
A low-middle oblique view of the siege of Franco-Savoyarde-held Verrua Savoia by the Spanish army, commanded by Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, 3rd Duke of Feria (1 September 1587-1634) and Captain Don Gonzalo de Cordoba from 10 August to 17 November 1625 resulting in a Franco-Savoyarde victory. The Thirty Years War (1618-48). Oriented with south to top.
In 1625 the Duke of Savoy had signed an alliance with France against Spain and Austria. The Duke of Feria lifted the siege of Verrua on on 17 November 1625. See also RCINs 722015-16.a. The dedicatee is Archduke Charles of Austria (15 September 1607-30 July 1632, the second son of Philip III of Spain.
The printmaker appears to have deliberately made the background fainter in order to give the impression of distant perspective. The dedicator may be of Dutch origin, perhaps a Jan Cillars de Vries, and the identity of the initials HFR has not been determined. Keller is possibly another creator's name but it has not been identified.
Cesare Bassano (1583-1648) (etcher) [bottom left:] Cesare Bassano F. / Con privileggio
After Giovanni Maria Torriano (active 1625) (draughtsman) [bottom right:] Keller [below, the monogram:] HF R [and] Gio. Maria Torriano / Delineavit.
Giovanni Cillars de Fries (active 1625) (dedicator) [bottom:] Gio: Cillars de Fries.
Johannes Eillarts (active 16th-17th centuries) (publisher)
Keller, [.......] (contributor)
H. F. R. (active 1625) (contributor)
Subject(s)
Army-SpainWatermark: Crown with trefoil above
Condition: four fold lines; brown discolouration; two small holes and a tear along central fold; ink smudge top right; stains; foxing; a pin hole at each corner; surface dirt and brown ink splodges with indistinct black ink offsetting on verso. Re-used Mount Type A, with framing lines also on verso
37.1 x 50.2 cm (image and sheet)
cropped (platemark)
41.3 x 54.7 cm (mount)
Printed title:
NOVO ET VERO DISSEGNO DELL’ ASSEDIO DI VERVVA CON SVE BATTERIE, FORTIFICATIONI ET SVOI QVARTIERI. [across top of print, in a banner]
Dedication:
[in scrolled cartouche, coat of arms of Don Carlo of Austria in centre:] All Ilmo et eccell.mo Sig.r Don Carlo d'Austria Principe et Mar=chese del Sac. Rom. Imp.o Grande de Spagna et Cameriero de / Sua Maesta Ces.a etc. Gio. Cillars de Fries D.D.
Annotations:
George III heading: Verua 1625.
Other annotations: (Recto) [top left, red pencil:] 3/32 [and, black pencil:] 15; [top left, black pencil, partly legible:] [?] be [?] 1633. (Verso) [top left, black pencil, erased and partly legible:] II/[?].
George III catalogue entry:
Verua Novo et vero Dissegno dell’Assedio di Verua con sue Batterie, Fortificationi et suoi Quartieri, 1625: da Gio. Maria Torriano, apresso Gio. Cillards [sic] de Fries.
Subject(s)
Rocca, [Verrua Savoia district], Piedmont, Italy (45°10ʹ28ʺN 08°05ʹ56ʺE)
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. 2852
Page revisions
25 May 2024
Current version
