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Porto-Vecchio In Its Last Years Under Genoa
This 1764 map, titled Plan de Porto Vecchio, is a finely detailed copperplate engraving by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, one of the preeminent French cartographers of the 18th century. It was published as part of Bellin’s Petit Atlas Maritime, an influential and comprehensive collection of maritime charts and plans designed for navigation and geographic reference. The map focuses on Porto-Vecchio, a natural harbor and town on the southeastern coast of Corsica, showcasing its strategic coastal features and surrounding areas.
Geographic and Nautical Features
The map delineates the Baye de Porto Vecchio (Bay of Porto-Vecchio) and its surrounding promontories, islands, and inlets with remarkable precision.
Depth soundings, noted in toises (an old French unit of measure), are charted throughout the bay and adjacent waters, reflecting the utility of this map for mariners. Prominent landmarks such as the Cap de la Chiappa and Pointe de l'Ours are identified, aiding in navigation. Small islands, including le Ferraro and la Minara, are also labeled, along with hazardous rocky shoals and "passes" into the bay.
This map was produced during a time when Corsica was transitioning from Genoese control to French rule, a process completed in 1769.
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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