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The map entitled Plan du Port et Ville de Civita-Vecchia comes from Jacques-Nicolas Bellin’s Petit Atlas Maritime, published in 1764. The map provides a detailed plan of the port and town of Civitavecchia, a strategic harbor on the western coast of Italy near Rome. Civitavecchia was an essential naval base and commercial port during the 18th century, serving as the main maritime gateway to the Papal States.
The map is oriented toward the coastline, highlighting the fortified walls encircling the town and the defensive structures that protected the harbor. The major elements include:
- Ville de Civita-Vecchia: The walled city is the central focus, enclosed by substantial fortifications with angled bastions designed to defend against both land and sea attacks.
- Le Port: The harbor area is divided into sections, including the main dock (Môle) and an artificial breakwater (Môle qui ferme le Port) that shelters the inner port. The harbor is illustrated with depth soundings, essential for navigation, and marked anchorages for ships.
- La Darce: The inner basin where galleys and other vessels were docked, highlighting the strategic role of the port in military and commercial activities.
- Le Chateau: The fortification to the east, guarding the entrance to the port, provides another layer of defense.
The legend identifies several key points:
- A: Arsenal des Galères: The galley arsenal where warships were maintained.
- B: Porte de Cornetto: One of the town’s main gates, leading toward the northwest.
- C: Porte de Rome: The gateway facing the route to Rome, emphasizing Civitavecchia’s connection to the Papal capital.
- D: Porte de la Marine: Another gate leading directly to the port facilities.
- E: Batterie de Canon: Artillery batteries positioned to defend the harbor entrance.
In the 18th century, Civitavecchia was a vital military and commercial hub for the Papal States. The port’s strategic location on the Tyrrhenian Sea made it a key point for naval operations and trade routes connecting central Italy with the broader Mediterranean. The fortifications depicted in Bellin’s map were originally designed by Michelangelo in the 16th century and were further enhanced over the following centuries.
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was among the most important mapmakers of the eighteenth century. In 1721, at only the age of 18, he was appointed Hydrographer to the French Navy. In August 1741, he became the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine (the French Hydrographic Office) and was named Official Hydrographer of the French King.
During his term as Official Hydrographer, the Dépôt was the one of the most active centers for the production of sea charts and maps in Europe. Their output included a folio-format sea atlas of France, the Neptune Francois. He also produced a number of sea atlases of the world, including the Atlas Maritime and the Hydrographie Francaise. These gained fame and distinction all over Europe and were republished throughout the eighteenth and even in the nineteenth century.
Bellin also produced smaller format maps such as the 1764 Petit Atlas Maritime, containing 580 finely-detailed charts. He also contributed a number of maps for the 15-volume Histoire Generale des Voyages of Antoine François Prévost.
Bellin set a very high standard of workmanship and accuracy, cementing France's leading role in European cartography and geography during this period. Many of his maps were copied by other mapmakers across the continent.
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