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This map, drawn by French cartographer Jacques-Nicolas Bellin and published in his Petit Atlas Maritime in 1764, depicts the port and town of Bonifacio, located at the southern tip of the island of Corsica. The map provides a detailed view of the fortified city and its harbor, highlighting key features such as the town’s citadel, fortifications, and surrounding geographical elements like the Pointe de la Chapelle and the sheltered harbor.
Bellin’s map captures the strategic importance of Bonifacio as a key Mediterranean port and stronghold, emphasizing its defensive architecture and position overlooking the Strait of Bonifacio, which separates Corsica from the island of Sardinia.
During the 18th century, Corsica was a region of significant geopolitical interest, caught between the influence of major European powers. By the early 1700s, Corsica was under Genoese control, but the island’s population, dissatisfied with Genoese rule, frequently rebelled. The city of Bonifacio, with its natural harbor and strategic location, played a crucial role in the military and maritime developments of this period.
Throughout the mid-18th century, Corsica became a hotbed of resistance against Genoese dominance. In 1729, the Corsican population began a series of uprisings against the Genoese, seeking independence from their long-time rulers. The leader of this movement, Pasquale Paoli, established an independent Corsican republic in 1755, drafting a democratic constitution and setting the island on a path toward self-governance. However, the Genoese, unable to suppress the rebellion, sought external assistance.
In 1768, Genoa ceded Corsica to France in exchange for the cancellation of debts, and the French moved swiftly to assert control over the island. The French invasion of Corsica in 1769 resulted in the Battle of Ponte Novu, where Paoli’s forces were decisively defeated, ending the Corsican dream of independence. This marked the beginning of French rule over Corsica, a significant geopolitical shift in the Mediterranean. Bonifacio, with its defensive harbor and fortified position, became an essential part of French military strategy for controlling the island and securing maritime trade routes in the region. orth Africa during the period.
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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