|
||
|
|
|
|
This map of the Normandy region in France was created in 1634 by Christophe Tassin. Tassin, geographer to the king, was one of the first significant French mapmakers in the 17th Century.
The map is adorned with two ornate cartouches. The title cartouche, located in the lower right corner, is framed by elaborately draped fabric held up by carved scrolls, a common Baroque decorative feature in cartography of this period. The distance scale cartouche, positioned in the upper left section of the map, is more elaborate, shown in the rough form of a chariot-like sea shell and featuring a spectacular vignette of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. Neptune is depicted holding his trident, and pulled by two large sea monsters, a dramatic illustration reinforcing Normandy’s strong maritime identity.
The coastal waters of Normandy are richly illustrated with a compass rose and numerous sailing ships. These embellishments were typical of 17th-century cartography, where naval and commercial importance was often highlighted through artistic elements. The Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel, the Havre de Grâce (modern-day Le Havre), and other key harbors are prominently marked, emphasizing the region’s crucial role in French maritime trade.
Tassin’s map carefully outlines Normandy’s network of towns, rivers, and forests, labeling settlements in a fine italic script. The major towns of the time, including Rouen, Caen, Alençon, and Avranches, are clearly represented. The forests and mountainous regions are depicted using traditional pictorial symbols, a cartographic convention of the period.
Nicolas Tassin (fl. 1633-55) was appointed 'royal cartographer' at Dijon before setting up as an engraver in Paris where he issued various collections of small maps and plans of France, Switzerland, Germany and Spain. Tassin first published his maps in his own atlas Cartes Generale de Toutes Les Provinces de France in 1634, with an enlarged second edition in 1637 (France, royaumes et provinces d'Europe).
![Cenomanorum Galliae regionis typus. Auctore Mattheo Ogerio. Le Mans [on sheet with:] Britanniae, et Normandiae Typus. 1594.](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/100856.jpg)