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Fine, Early Manuscript Map of France
This late 16th Century map hand-drawn on Vellum and oriented with east at the top, depicts the area between the Seine, Oise, Aisne, and Marne Rivers in north-central France. Although unsigned, experts have attributed it to Jacques Fougeu, a prominent cartographer under King Henri IV, who served as Maréchal des Logis des armées under Henri IV.
The map highlights several notable cities and towns, including Paris and Soissons, and features a dense network of smaller settlements throughout the region. The main emphasis is on waterways and settlements, with some roads also indicated. Many towns are marked with numbers, which likely denote their tax contributions, suggesting that this map served a bureaucratic purpose.
Fougeu’s maps date to around 1599, a period when he was actively producing detailed cartographic works for military and logistical use. His maps are known for their meticulous toponymic detail, often providing significantly more information than contemporary printed maps. For instance, Fougeu’s maps typically include hundreds of place names, far surpassing the detail found in other maps of the same era.
On the verso of this map, in a slightly later hand (circa 1750), is an inscription that reads, in part, “JJ Le LeFranc.” This refers to Jean Jacques LeFranc de Pompignan (1709-1784), a French savant best known for his poetry and literary criticism. LeFranc hailed from southern France and his family had a longstanding relationship of service with the Court of Aids, which oversaw customs duties and other financial matters.
The map was likely of interest to LeFranc due to his connection with the Court of Aids and was probably part of his extensive library. LeFranc’s library, comprising approximately 25,000 volumes, was auctioned by his son after his death, with many volumes seeding the libraries of three learned institutions in Toulouse.
Bernard Savary: LES CARTES DE JACQUES FOUGEU, Maréchal des Logis des armées d'Henri IV
Jacques Fougeu (1575-1645) was a notable French cartographer and military officer who served as quartermaster under King Henri IV in 1599 and later as Quartermaster General from 1619 to 1634.
Born in France, Fougeu dedicated a significant part of his career to creating detailed maps, which, although lacking in elegance, provided invaluable logistical information for military campaigns. His work includes an atlas signed and dated in 1599, nearly 200 unsigned and undated maps, and an undated but signed atlas, all preserved in the National Library of France (BNF).
Fougeu's maps, created during the reign of Henri IV, were primarily intended for military use. They were essentially field notes designed to inform quartermasters of the number of hearths available in villages along military routes, making them vital for logistical planning. Despite their rough appearance, these maps collectively form a comprehensive compendium of information about French towns and villages around the year 1600. For example, Fougeu’s map of the mouth of the River Somme accurately outlines the river and coast and marks over one hundred towns and villages, compared to only twelve towns marked on the contemporary printed map by Ortelius in the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. This made Fougeu's maps a remarkable, albeit secret, source of information for the king.
The Fougeu family held significant positions at the court, with Jacques' father, Charles Fougeu, serving as valet to Henri III, and his brother, Pierre Fougeu, being appointed the first Quartermaster General by Henri IV in 1594. Jacques himself, following in his brother’s footsteps, contributed significantly to military cartography under the direction of Pierre and possibly for the benefit of Sully, a close collaborator of the king. His maps, although not intended for public distribution, provided strategic insights that were critical for the movement and provisioning of troops during military campaigns.
Fougeu’s maps are characterized by their extensive toponymic detail, often including hundreds of place names not found on other contemporary maps. His work on the map of Savoy, for instance, lists 799 toponyms, a stark contrast to the approximately forty found on engraved maps of the same period. This richness in detail makes Fougeu’s maps an invaluable resource for understanding the regional cartography of the time, even though many of his original sources have been lost over the centuries.
Jacques Fougeu passed away in 1645 and was buried in the church of Saint-Pierre in Orléans, where his family had a chapel. Although his tomb was later desecrated during the Revolution, his legacy endures through his detailed manuscript maps, which continue to be studied for their historical significance and contribution to the field of cartography.
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