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The Spiritual Capital of Corsican Independence
This 1764 map focuses on the commune town of Corte, centrally located in the mountainous heart of Corsica, and captures its strategic layout and topography during a period of significant historical importance for the island, notably during the Genoese rule and shortly before Corsica's annexation by France in 1769.
The map is oriented with northwest at the top, illustrating the town’s position between the confluence of two rivers, the Tavignano and the Restonica. Bellin’s meticulous portrayal of the town includes the individual buildings, streets, and the rugged terrain that surrounds Corte.
Historical context underscores Corte's role as a pivotal center of Corsican resistance during the struggle for independence under Pasquale Paoli, who established Corte as the capital of his short-lived Corsican Republic (1755-1769). This period of Corsican history was marked by efforts to forge an autonomous state, distinct from Genoese control, and Bellin's map serves as a valuable document of the city's form during this tumultuous era. The intricate depiction of the fortifications and natural barriers highlights the town’s strategic importance in Corsican resistance movements.
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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