Plan du Port et de la Ville de la Havanne

Sea chart of the port of Havana, drawn by the frigate captain José del Río y Cosa, and published by the Dépôt Général de la Marine of France. This is the French version of the “Plano del puerto y ciudad de la Havana levantado por D. José Del Rio”, published in 1798 by the Hydrographic Directorate and engraved by Felipe Bauzá. Worth noting is that on the outskirts of the city, to the south-east, the map represents the ‘barrancones’, a type of warehouse where enslaved African people were kept. A key of 38 entries makes it possible to locate the principal buildings of the port, including the cathedral and other religious establishments, the new governor’s house and the prison. At its entrance, the fortifications that protected the city stand out: El Morro, La Cabaña and San Salvador de la Punta. In the city the Campo de Marte and the arsenal are mentioned. Around the city are the localities of Cojímar, Marimelena, Regla, Guanabacoa, El Horcón, as well as the powder magazines and the castles of Atarés and El Príncipe. Along the coast the measurements of the sea depths are indicated. The orientation is inverted, with the north located at the bottom of the plan, indicated by a fleur-de-lis. Hand-coloured copy with old colours.