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Including The Second Oldest Surviving City in South America
This is a finely engraved map depicts the harbor of Santa Marta on the northern coast of South America, now in modern-day Colombia. Bellin, a renowned French cartographer and hydrographer, created this map as part of his contributions to the Petit Atlas Maritime, a collection of maps that documented coastal regions worldwide.
The map is highly detailed, focusing on the geographic and navigational features of the port and its surrounding area. The harbor is shown with careful depth soundings, measured in fathoms, illustrating navigable waters and shoals. The Grande Passe (Main Channel) is marked, guiding sailors through safe passage into the harbor. Two prominent coastal landmarks are labeled: Le Grand Morro and Le Petit Morro, key reference points for navigation.
The map highlights the settlement of Santa Marta (Le Bourg) on the western side of the bay. Various defensive works are marked, such as:
- Fort Projeté (a proposed fort),
- Redoute de St. Jean (Redoubt of St. John), and
- Redoute de la France (Redoubt of France).
These features underscore the strategic military importance of Santa Marta during the colonial period.
The coastline is intricately engraved, showing rugged topography with hills and escarpments near the shore. Small ports, such as the Petit Port, are labeled, along with anchorage points like Fond de Sable et de Vase (sand and mud bottom). These details reflect Bellin’s dedication to accuracy and the map’s utility for maritime navigation.
Published during the height of European colonial activity in the Americas, this map reflects the strategic importance of Santa Marta as a port city. Santa Marta was one of the earliest Spanish settlements in the New World, established in 1525. It is the oldest surviving settlement in Colombia and the second oldest in South America.
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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