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Mapping the Height of the Peninsular War.

A finely preserved example of John Luffman’s rare 1811 map of Spain and Portugal, issued at the height of the Peninsular War and illustrating the newly imposed military divisions of Spain as decreed by the Cortes of Cádiz.

The map presents the full Iberian Peninsula in striking color, with individual provinces delicately shaded and overprinted with six bold military districts in “brown colour,” as specified in the accompanying note. These divisions, created by decree of January 1811, each corresponded to a field army under a captain-general with “absolute command.” Luffman explicitly frames the sheet as a war map, noting that “the operations of the contending armies of England and Allies against France are fully illustrated.”

The military restructuring was the work of the Cortes of Cádiz, the extraordinary parliamentary body formed in exile during the Napoleonic occupation of Spain. As the legitimate Bourbon monarchy was held captive in France and much of Spain lay under French control, the Cortes assembled in the fortified port city of Cádiz, one of the few areas never taken by the French, and assumed national authority. It was this body that directed the Spanish resistance and undertook sweeping reforms, including the 1811 military reorganization and, the following year, the promulgation of the liberal Constitution of 1812.

Designed for the British reading public following Wellington’s campaigns, the map reflects a moment of great strategic uncertainty: it was issued just weeks after Masséna’s failed invasion of Portugal and before Wellington’s push into Spain. Roads, fortified towns, mountain ranges, and coastal features are engraved with clarity and precision, offering a comprehensive overview of the military geography of the peninsula.

This was one of the largest, if not the largest, separate map Luffman issued. Known for his compact Select Plans of the Principal Cities, Harbours, Forts &c. in the World (1800–1803), he here pivoted to larger-format cartography aimed at the civilian market.

The present example is the deluxe version, mounted on linen and preserved in its original slipcase bearing the engraved title label. Luffman offered it at a premium price of 7s in cloth and case, compared to 5s for the loose sheet.

Scarce in commerce.